The City of the Evening Star
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: After the events of Father's Day the Doctor thinks a nice vacation in ancient Arabia is just what's needed.Only not all is as it should be in the City of the Evening Star. M rating on the last chapter.


The City of the Evening Star  
©2005 Evenstar

Chapter 1 -Soul Breaking

_If fate holds a purpose  
You feel fate will lend a hand  
It saves face deserts you  
It deals grace from underhand  
And every time the past's awakened  
Every time your soul starts breaking_

Once they'd entered the TARDIS, Rose felt the Doctor exhale a sigh of relief and his hand tighten around hers. He shut the door behind them and gave her shoulders a quick squeeze before rushing towards the control panel. She heard another sound come from him, half a yelp of joy, half a cry. Rose couldn't only imagine what it must have felt like for him to have experienced losing his beloved ship. She watched him as he checked over controls and screens, making sure everything was in working order. She watched his hands work, his smile come and go on his face and she watched how his eyes danced with utter pride and gladness that he hadn't lost the last connection to his people.

Rose watched and inside, her heart continued to break. She thought of her arrogance and negligence and what it had cost her. It didn't matter that the Doctor was here with her now, because there'd been a time when he wasn't. He'd been dead and devoured. For a while there, the Time Lords _had_ been extinct. And it had been her own selfish fault. The tears for her father were gone, hidden away inside her with her new memories and her old notions about his existence. They were replaced with the anguish at having lost the Doctor. The images of the Reaper engulfing him played over and over in her mind. How many horrors like that had he seen, she asked herself. Did she understand him better now? She doubted she'd ever grasp the scope of what it meant to be the last Time Lord. She'd killed him. He'd been dead. And she'd been all alone.

"I've just realized..." Rose spoke.

"What's that?" The Doctor replied, barely looking at her.

"There was another way. There was another way to reverse it." He stopped and looked at her, his face giving off no emotion. "You could've killed the baby." His gaze faltered and his eyes lowered away from hers.

"No."

"Yes, you could've snuffed me out of existence and everything would've been okay. I wouldn't have been alive to muck things up like I did."

The fear in her eyes told him something that hadn't occurred to him before that moment. Rose didn't know how much she'd come to mean to him. He supposed he hadn't really told her and maybe despite how tightly he gripped her hand and much he'd shared with her about himself, it wasn't enough. He thought perhaps it was a failing of his that he didn't fully comprehend the scope of what it was to be a human being out in the Universe.

"I said no, Rose."

"But Doctor..."

"I SAID NO!" She jolted when he'd raised his voice and had to steady herself with her hand against one of the amorphous pillars. Crestfallen, she looked down at the floor, feeling her body weaken and ready to collapse. She heard his foot falls as he approached her, but she couldn't make herself look up and face him. She cringed when he stopped in front of her. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"S'alright, I deserved it." She felt first one hand, then another, cup her face. He brought her up and met her with a wan smile. The pads of his thumbs wiped her tears away.

"You're hurting, Rose and I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry." He enveloped her in his arms and held her tight. After a few moments she returned his embrace with equal strength. Still holding her be began to speak again. "Killing your younger self might have put things to right...for the world. It would've have been a different world, but it would've been okay. But not for your parents, and not for me. A world without you in it would've been unthinkable. I haven't said it and I should've, but you're the most important person in my life. And not because you're the only one."

"Me too." Her voice was muffled against his shoulder, but he'd heard her plain enough.

"All forgiven?"

"Yes please."

"All forgiven then." They parted so as to look at each other. Rose's bottom lip trembled and she felt cold to his touch. A moment later his lips pressed themselves to her forehead, lingering there. "You're exhausted. We both are. Why don't you have a hot bath and brush your hair? I'll bring you a cup of tea." She nodded and his lips returned to her forehead. He smiled for her again when she dared to look at him before she went off to her room.

He busied himself with making her a cuppa, while the tension in his muscles exacerbated his physical and mental exhaustion. He needed a good long kip after this latest adventure. His hearts still ached for the girl down the hall. He understood the reasoning behind her actions to save her father. She wasn't a Time Lord, she hadn't known any better. He hoped she realized he truly had forgiven her. He suddenly felt the burden of what it meant to look after someone besides just yourself. It was a curse...no, he decided, Rose was a blessing. She was right, he was sad. For so much of his life he was militant, serving a mission as the last of his race. She'd cracked the shell of that exterior and deserved to see a ways inside him. His first vow after this epiphany was to spare her more tears like the ones she'd shed this day.

Despite the permeating heat of the bathwater, Rose still felt cold inside. She'd given her hair a thorough brush and the long tendrils were now damp and clinging to her skin. She'd stopped crying, but still felt vulnerable. She was over tired she concluded, all would be fine after infinite hours of sleep. There was a knock to her bathroom door.

"Are you decent?" The Doctor's voice called.

"No, but it's alright, there's bubbles," was Rose's reply. She wanted her cup of tea more than she wanted to pretend to be modest. Sheepishly, he entered the steam filled room, setting the cup of hot liquid down on the rim of the bathtub. He stood in the doorway watching her.

"Feeling better?" She nodded, taking a sip from her cup.

"Some. Thank you for the tea."

"You're welcome. Rose?"

"Hmmm?" He shrugged out of his jacket and unceremoniously sat himself on the floor next to the tub. Rose was grateful that she'd chosen to have a bubble bath, thinking the Doctor would've done this no matter what.

"Rose. Listen."

"I am."

"You do know that I meant it, when I said all was forgiven, don't you?" She smiled for him, trying very hard to believe him.

"I just don't know how to forgive myself." She'd finally gotten to the truth of it.

"I left you to die. With the Dalek. And I haven't forgiven myself, but it gets better every time I see you alive and well. It'll be the same for you, I hope."

"I think so. I hope so. I was never so terrified in all my life, when I saw that thing commin' for yah."

"I can still hear the Dalek's voice calling out _exterminate_. Have you forgiven me for letting you die?"

"Long time ago."

"And I've put what happened with the Reapers behind me. So, there's no need for crying, alright?"

"Alright." He rose to his feet and headed towards the door.

"I'll see you after you've had a good rest, sleep tight."

"You too, Doctor."

Unfortunately sleep was evasive as Rose changed her position on her bed for the tenth time in as many minutes. She punched the pillows in frustration. She and the Doctor didn't have regular sleeping schedules. There was no night or day on the TARDIS and they simply slept when they were tired. They were both exhausted to the core, yet she couldn't fall asleep for the life of her. There was disturbance deep inside her somewhere, something in her psyche that wouldn't let her rest. Tried as she might to forget it, she lingered on the images of the Doctor being devoured by the Reaper. She imagined other terrible scenarios and when she'd finally made herself well and truly sick with guilt and worry she tossed off the covers and got out of bed.

She opened her door and ran smack into a bare chest. The Doctor's arm immediately secured itself around her waist to prevent her from falling back. "Careful!" he admonished. The expression on her face was one of astonishment. "Where were you off to then?"

"I wanted..." Her voice trailed off. He was holding her very close and she could feel the dual heartbeats beneath his chest with the pressure of their two bodies pressed together. The Doctor's naked chest was pressed against hers, she realized. A naked, well muscled chest. The only thing separating them was the camisole she wore. The only thing separating their lower halves were her underwear and the sleep pants he wore. Her mouth suddenly felt rather dry. His thumb was gently massaging her lower back and there was a look in his eyes that made her shiver from head to toe.

"What did you want?"

"You. I mean, I wanted to see if you were alright. What are you doing here?" He released his grip on her, but they remained close. He cleared his throat.

"Uh, well. See, the thing is..."

"Yes Doctor?"

"I was wondering about you too, so I came to check. Great minds think alike, I suppose."

"After today, I certainly wouldn't apply that to me."

"Hey now, none of that. I'll be on my way, if you're alright." He turned to leave but she caught his arm to halt him.

"Maybe...maybe you could stay? I can't sleep. I keep tossing and turning."

"Me too. Today wasn't our best, was it?"

"Give me an expanding sun any day of the week." She took him by the hand and led him back to her bed. She got in first, then pulled him in after her. He settled on his back and she curled herself against him, resting her head on his chest. He pulled up the covers and wrapped an arm across her back.

"Comfy?" He asked, shifting a little until their bodies settled into a groove.

"Perfectly," she replied, laying her hand over his chest. "I think I can sleep now that I know where you are, that you're safe." He squeezed her body but did not speak. Rose fell asleep within minutes. He lay awake and lost himself in the wondrous feeling of holding her so close and so intimately. Every few seconds her hot breath would parade across his naked flesh while the fingers on the hand that lay over his breast tensed and pressed into him. The situation was most certainly an arousing one and the Doctor was quite relieved that Rose was asleep at this time. And just to be contrary he was also rather disappointed that she was. The most important thing of course was that she was here and he knew she was safe.

Tomorrow, he promised, he'd take her somewhere fun, somewhere beautiful. He wanted her to laugh and feel unburdened and he wanted to share it with her. He promised after all, to show her the Universe. When Rose's leg insinuated itself between his he bit back a groan. She nuzzled into him and seemed to cleave to him with a fierce desperation. She whimpered quietly, dreaming. He heard his name spoken from her mouth, a tremor to her voice. He reached over and caressed her face and she seemed to calm.

"I'm right here Rose," he whispered. "I'm with you."

Chapter 2 - The Grand Bazaar

_Silence swimming in a pool of dreams  
Beneath its depths the forgotten streams  
Above, the city of the evening star  
Behind its walls, the grand bazaar  
As she walks through its endless maze  
Cursing those who mistrust her ways  
Please my friend no matter what she sees  
Tell my lover come back to me_

Rose awoke the next morning feeling more rested than she had since she'd first embarked on her journeys with the Doctor. It took her a few moments to remember the fact that she wasn't alone in her bed. Lifting her head up she spied the Doctor's sleeping face. She'd never seen him so serene, so at rest. She knew in that moment that she loved him. She knew it had been coming for a long time, but to finally admit it to herself was blissful. As was spending the night in his arms. She wondered how long they could lay like this until he awoke.

As it turned out, not very long. The Doctor opened his eyes and met her own. He stifled a yawn and stretched a little. Rose extricated herself from his hold, sitting up.

"Morning already," she commented. He looked at his watch and frowned.

"We've been asleep for eleven hours."

"Eleven! Blimey, I don't think I've ever had such a late lie. It was good though, don't you think? I feel...rested."

"Looks like we both needed to sleep. I, um..."

"It's a bit awkward, yeah?"

"Um, yes, now that you mention it."

"Let's not make a big deal of it. We both needed a little comfort, right? We're close, better than best friends even! It's alright to spend the night together."

"My thoughts exactly. Look, I'll go put the kettle on and find us breakfast." He got out of bed, but turned back and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "French toast?"

"Sure, sounds lovely."

"Right, I know a nice little spot in Paris that'll suit us." And with that he was gone. Rose touched her face and smiled. She lay back down for a moment, feeling a little overwhelmed. She half groaned, half whined when she realized the sheets now smelled of him. And it was not in the least an unpleasant smell. It was very masculine and she supposed very Time Lord. She wondered if there were pheromones involved because she wanted to bury her face in his pillow and inhale deeply.

"Shower, breakfast in Paris. That's the plan Rose Tyler, get to it already," she said out loud to herself. She gave her head a shake and hopped out of bed. She was half way to the bathroom when she zipped around and grabbed said pillow. She brought it to her face and drank in the scent of him. She quickly dropped it, as if it had suddenly come alive. "You're an idiot, girl." She continued on towards the bathroom, feeling a little silly and a little giddy.

An hour later they were seated outside a cafe in gay Paris some time in the 1960s. To Rose's mind everyone looked very Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. She felt rather uncouth in her jeans and t-shirt, but it was early and there weren't many people around. She ate her breakfast with the Doctor in silence as he tore pieces from a croissant and sipped a double espresso. As if he needed more energy, Rose smiled to herself. The air was crisp and the sun was low in the sky still. It was nice, if not a little dull.

"Doctor?" she said after her meal was done. He looked to her, giving her his full attention. "Are we spending the day in Paris?"

"If you like. It's a fantastic city, and much better with two."

The distinct sound of tires squealing on the road interrupted the quiet morning. From around the corner came a small, shiny red sports car driven by what appeared to be an Arab man dressed in full Sheik regalia. His white hood was flowing out behind him in the wind caused by the speed at which he was travelling. His companion was a young blond girl who couldn't have been any older than Rose herself. The woman was laughing and holding on to the man while he deftly maneuvered the car through the morning traffic, barely able to miss mowing down unsuspecting pedestrians. Moments later it was all over and the roar of the sports car faded away.

The Doctor took a sip of his espresso and continued to people watch. "Or we could go to ancient Arabia and find out if there really are genies in magic lamps."

After breakfast they returned to the TARDIS. The Doctor recalled the brief time he'd visited the place and time of Earth's history they were about to head to. He'd only had a short stay and didn't get to see much of the main attraction of their destination, which was The Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar encompassed the entire city center and was the main hub of commerce for the entire region. The Doctor suggested it as their destination given how Rose hadn't had the opportunity to decorate her bedroom to her own tastes. It was quite Spartan in actuality and could use a little color, a little flare. And where better to get it than The Grand Bazaar. Furthermore he enticed her with tales of the elaborate costumes, dresses and jewelry that could be found. He'd give her unlimited funds and he promised there'd be no misadventures or alien invasions. It would be just the two of them spending the day in an exotic place, sharing time and sharing company.

The ease with which they interacted with each other had returned, including them walking hand in hand to the wardrobe to pick out the perfect outfits for a Saharan adventure. They'd landed at the end of summer where the heat was dire and oppressive. Rose liked the fact that the Doctor would have to for once wear something other than a leather jacket and a jumper. It wasn't that he dressed badly, just that he didn't change much. She wanted to see a little color on him. And to see if it accentuated the blue of his eyes.

The Doctor was sifting through a closet labeled "Desert Climate: Earth" for something appropriate for them to wear.

"Ah, here we go, this'll suit you," he said with glee, passing over to her a gauzy white outfit consisting of loose pants, a tank top and a long jacket. "And seems how we're wanting to be somewhat inconspicuous, you best fit in with the local ladies and cover your face." He handed to her a wrap that would both protect her head from the sun as well as conceal her face. She handled the material and noticed how light and soft it was. It was similar to linen, but of a sturdier fiber. "We'll see about shoes in a minute. Now for me..."

"Don't tell me you...bloody hell, you have a white jumper!" Rose exclaimed when he produced a shirt not unlike that he already wore.

"It's not! It's the same material as yours."

"You're hopeless, is what you are." He outright pouted, returning his attention to finding himself a pair of pants. He found a pair that was his to his liking, of a rather nice sandy color, along with a beaten up old fedora. He grumbled something in a language she didn't know and tossed a pair of hiking boots at her as he got out a pair for himself. "Boots? In hot weather?"

"A day on your feet and you'll be thanking me. Drink enough water and you'll be fine." He put on his hat and flashed a grin.

"Who are you supposed to be, Indiana Jones?"

"What? I look good in a hat."

"Where's your whip?"

"I'm a Time Lord, I don't need a silly whip. And stop looking at me like I've just stepped out of an H. Ryder Haggard novel! This day _will_ be fun."

"Course it will. But I want you along if I buy any lamps. Just in case."

"Agreed."

The advent of sunglasses didn't escape the Doctor as Rose slipped on a pair of wire framed tinted glasses while the Doctor did the same. She thought he looked like Lawrence of Arabia, the Peter O'Toole version. He wore a thin leather jacket made of raw colored suede, reasoning that he needed somewhere to keep his sonic screwdriver. The TARDIS was parked outside a wall of the city, as inconspicuous as a big blue box could be in a desert. They took a moment to look out at the great expanse beyond the city. The Sahara Desert truly was a wonder of the world. Undulating dunes of sand carried out to the horizon, bright white fading upwards into a brilliant blue. Alien planets were magnificent in their own right, but this part of the Earth could rival any world for the sheer awesome beauty of this barren wilderness.

The Doctor's hand found hers, their fingers lacing together.

"Come on, there's more to see," The Doctor said, leading her to one of the many entrances that lined the wall. They followed along a dark, narrow passage that soon opened into the active miasma of people and animals as the buying and trading for the day began. Rose's senses were first assaulted by the smell of spices. She'd nothing else to compare it to but the take-away curries she used to get with Mickey. This was a thousand times more potent and stimulating than anything experienced before.

"It's raw and fresh and never been touched by a single pesticide or drop of acid rain. Pure spice," The Doctor explained.

"S'wonderful. Cor' I'm gonna love this place," Rose replied, pulling him along. "Is that silk?" There was a cart full to the brim of brightly colored fabrics.

"Looks like. Pick out anything you want."

"Oh, you're a total love!" She kissed his cheek and hurried on, dragging him with her.

The hours didn't pass too quickly and the Doctor was content enough to carry Rose's bundles of purchases and watch her enjoy herself. Her wrists were decorated with bangles of gold and silver and around her throat was an emerald on a thin woven chord. He'd bought it for her whilst she was looking at music boxes. The jewel was tiny, no larger than the fingernail on her baby finger, but it was clear and perfect. The hug he'd received had made it worth every penny. Word had gotten around that there were foreign travellers and spending money in the market and soon enough they were surrounded by eager merchants. By the time afternoon had arrived the Doctor was feeling the burden of their many purchases and had hired a young teenage boy as their helper for the day. The boy was sweet and obedient and the Doctor was glad he was too young for Rose to take a fancy to.

Hassan, as the boy was called, was also serving as a guide. The Doctor leaned over and whispered a request in Hassan's ear.

"Yes, Sir! I know the place you wish to find. It is closer to the center of the bazaar." Hassan was about to dash off, then the Doctor halted him by lifting one of the bundles from the boy's shoulder.

"I'll take everything back to...our..." The Doctor stammered and Rose picked up his misstep.

"To the place were staying the night," she said, simply.

"Right. You take Rose to that shop I mentioned and I'll be back in a jiff."

"Doctor? I thought we were going to stay together?"

"I'll be back before you've noticed I've gone. Besides, once my arms are empty, I can carry more. Would you like a hooka pipe?"

"How will you find us?" He tugged Rose away for a moment. He moved in close so no one would hear their conversation.

"Our TARDIS keys will attract each other. Still got yours?" She patted her pocket, feeling the key underneath the fabric.

"Of course."

"Then I'll see you in two shakes." The Doctor loaded himself up with their bundles and strode through the crowd back towards the TARDIS.

Hassan was at Rose's side, urging her towards another place in the market. Rose waited until the Doctor was swallowed up by the crowd.

"Come Mistress, the Doctor will meet us. Come." Reluctantly Rose allowed the boy to take her by the sleeve and lead her deeper into the melee.

Nearly an hour had passed since Rose and the Doctor had parted company. Hassan was keeping a watchful eye on her as she continuously looked in the direction she expected the Doctor to appear from. The boy had led her to a shop she had not yet entered. She hadn't even looked to see what kind of shop it was. She and the Doctor were notorious for having bad things happen when they got separated. The butterflies currently performing Swan Lake in her stomach were starting to do a chorus line. Her fingers fiddled with the emerald around her throat and she was worrying the ground beneath her with the toe of her boot.

"Miss me?" The Doctor asked, appearing at her side, having come from the _other_ direction. Rose cried out in surprised before smacking him hard across the shoulder. "Ow! What'd you do that for!"

"You! You..you!"

"Me, me, me, what?" She grabbed his hand and held their link up in front of them.

"See this? This isn't coming apart until we're back in the TARDIS. Got it?"

"Did you think I'd run off? Left you? I wouldn't do that."

"I bloody well know that! But what if some thief had conked you on the head and dragged you off into some dark corner?"

"I have a thick skull for one, and two, I've been taking care of myself for nine hundred years. Were you worried?" Her face contorted into a sad look that told the Doctor that she was on the verge of tears. He was starting to know things about her. He was becoming aware of how her emotions played so close to the outside and how fragile her human heart was. She _was_ worried, incredibly worried it seemed. He realized he still had so much to learn about her. She was no where near to having put the events with her father behind her. The day had been near perfect, but it would take her more than a day for her insecurity to be abated. "Let's go into the shop, alright?" Rose nodded and gave his hand a squeeze. "Don't worry, I won't let go of your hand."

Upon entering into the small shop, their senses were assaulted by the heady scents of a multitude of perfumes. They were surrounded by infinite glass vials while two ladies and one man occupied a corner, painstakingly working their craft at extracting oils from various plants and flowers. Rose and the Doctor were greeted warmly and given leave to sample anything they wished.

"If I didn't know any better, Doctor, I'd say you were a bit sweet on me. As it is my mum thinks you're some sort of intergalactic playboy and I'm infatuated."

"You said it yourself, we're _close. _I can't say that I've ever shared a bed with a companion in the past, and I've certainly never taken one to a perfume shop."

"So what does that make us?" With her permission he released her hand and put his on her shoulder, giving her a grin. He shrugged, uncertain of how to define their relationship.

"We're just _us_, Rose." He picked up one of the bottles that decorated the many shelves and countertops, opening the stopper. He grimaced. "Ugh, too strong for you. What sort do you usually go for?"

"I had this bottle I got from Henricks, sort of vanilla." The Doctor nodded and examined the labels on the bottles.

"Would you look at this? Desert Rose." He held the open bottle under her nose.

"S'nice. Smells a bit like my gran though." He put the bottle down, a little disappointed. After a few more minutes looking around, the Doctor found one that piqued his interest. He approached Rose from behind and heard her gasp when his calloused fingertips touched her throat, drawing away the diaphanous wrap from around her. He pulled back her hair and she next felt a cool tip of the glass stopper gliding from behind her ear down to her collar bone. Rose shivered, her eyes closing and her lips parting slightly. And when she felt his breath on the back of her neck her voice hitched and she involuntarily leaned back against him. "Doctor?"

"Vanilla, lemongrass...just hint of spice...it's you."

Since when had the Doctor's touch become such an erotic one, Rose wondered. She'd never before felt the fire in her belly that he'd now awakened. The scent of the perfume hit her nostrils and she felt herself become dizzy. Was he trying to seduce her? After all this day had been about indulging her, giving her gifts and spending quality time with her. Now he was touching her in a way that made her want to run with him back to the TARDIS and shag him to unconsciousness. It was one thing to know you loved someone, but another to want to tear their clothes off with your teeth.

"Do you like it, Rose?" he asked drawing away from her. Rose turned to face him and found his gaze upon her intense and unnerving. She felt her stomach drop and her mouth go dry. His grin started to come into play and she just about melted.

"S'lovely..." She cleared her throat and composed herself, arranging the wrap back around her shoulders. "M'just gonna go wait outside." Rose all but ran for the door, hearing the low rumble of the Doctor's laughter behind her. She walked into the sunlight and took in a deep, liberating breath. The Doctor knew full well what he was doing and she finally realized it. Was he having her on? Or was he trying to show her in his own unique way that he felt something deeper for her too. She growled in frustration.

Eventually she stopped her moping, deciding that she was going to up the ante with him. Two could play this game. When she was through with him, he'd be putty in her hands.

The hand touching the back of her shoulder alerted her to his return, but when she turned to face him she discovered an entirely different man than the one she'd expected. This one was a native to this time and place, no taller than the Doctor, but at least twice the weight. Rose was about to call for the Doctor when someone grabbed her from behind. She didn't have the chance to scream before a rag was pressed over her nose and mouth. Unable to breathe, she passed out almost instantly.

The Doctor wasn't precisely sure why he'd taken Rose to the perfume shop, or why he'd been so bold with touchign her. He'd made an intimate gesture and much to his surprise she hadn't rebuffed him. In fact she seemed to be rather affected by it. Nine hundred years of life and he'd never done such an overtly lustful act. She had fast become more than just a companion. After the incident with her father, he'd felt something taking root inside him. She was in his thoughts constantly. He barely felt the ageless need to travel to new and exciting places. Rose was far more entrancing than any exploding star or meteor shower. She was all around him, inside his hearts, his throat, in his gut. He was drowning in her. And what he wasn't expecting was the fact that he didn't mind in the least. He'd never had a companion like Rose and he was likely never to see another who could match her beauty, spirit and courage. Whatever it was they were becoming, he was looking forward to it.

He'd also never felt so invigorated, alive or happy. And it was all due to Rose. His Rose.

He didn't see her right away when he exited the shop with his purchase tucked away inside his jacket. He peered over his sunglasses first to the left, then to the right. There was no sign of her. He didn't rush to panic just yet, she might have merely stepped into one of the other shops. He reached inside his coat pocket to finger his TARDIS key. It was cool to the touch. That _did_ unsettle him. After what had occurred in the church when he and Rose hugged and his key burned hot, they'd since learned that the closer they were to each other physically the warmer their keys grew. It was a phenomenon he'd never experienced before with others he'd given keys to.

Worry began to prickle the edges of his mind.

"Rose!" he called out, earning a few examining glances from the public around him. "Rose! Answer me!"

He stalked to the east and looked around each stall, inside each building, then to the west and did the same. He looked down alleys, in houses, everywhere.

"ROSE!"

Worry escalated into panic and panic into deep seated dread. They'd only been apart for a minute and something had happened. It didn't matter which direction he went, his TARDIS key remained cold. It was as if she'd simply vanished.

"Rose..."

Chapter 3 - Halcyon Days

_Alone, left here in dust  
Amidst my fears and doubts  
Life's shattered dreams  
I could have gone without  
Now chthonic life has set its sights on  
Making me a slave to its ways  
I wait for return  
Until then my soul it burns  
And it burns only for you..._

The first thing that registered in Rose's mind when she returned to consciousness was that there were tiny masons living inside her skull and right now they were trying to build a cathedral. Her headache was monstrous and for several minutes she couldn't make herself move or speak. When her eyes blinked open she found darkness interrupted by pin pricks of light. Her hands felt a rough wooden exterior surrounding her. The space was tiny and cramped and the air inside was hot and sickening. The scent of her own sweat told her she'd been in this box for some time. She tried to feel the space above her but found it didn't expand much beyond the tip of her nose. She realized she was in a coffin.

She willed herself not to allow claustrophobia to set in and tried to use some of the Doctor's lessons to keep herself calm and her mind sharp. Right, she was in a coffin. Or something like one. Was she in the ground? No, there was motion. She was being transported, perhaps on the back of a cart. The ride wasn't a smooth one as she was continuously jostled back and forth. In combination with the oppressive heat she felt herself grow nauseous. She sharpened her mind and listened for sounds. There were muffled voices around her and the occasional crack of a whip. She surmised she _was_ on a cart, it was the most logical explanation. She'd been kidnapped, but for what purpose she had no idea. She suspected she'd find out soon enough .

Rose continued to take stock of her situation. She was still wearing her clothes and head dress, but her sunglasses were gone. She felt the emerald still resting on her breast and in her pocket was her TARDIS key. Clearly her abductors hadn't searched her for weapons or valuables. She was the prize they were after and not whatever money she might've had.

Nimbly she worked both the key and the cord with her emerald into her hands, then struggled to reach behind her neck and up under her hair. She worked methodically, taking her time to make sure she'd done it correctly. She worked her hair and the cord into a braid, securing her key and the emerald close to her scalp. Hopefully both items would go undetected. If she had her key with her, that meant the Doctor could find her. And she knew the Doctor would come for her. She _knew _that fact better than she knew anything between the Earth and the stars.

The cart came to a sudden halt and Rose's body lurched, causing her to hit her her head on the wooden panel. She grimaced, but made no sound. If she played this just right, she could escape and find her way back to the Doctor. _Before he even knows I'm gone_, she said to herself.

The Doctor had been staring at the ground in front of the perfume shop for several minutes. At his feet were the shattered remains of Rose's sunglasses. Eventually he gave his head a shake and got down to business. He was better than this. He could be calculating and precise when he needed to be and this was one of those times. There must have been a reason for her abduction and Rose was depending on him to figure it out. He discretely took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the area. The first thing his readings told him was that there was no sign of alien DNA in the vicinity. That was no surprise. Whatever signs there may have been of a struggle were nonexistent. She was likely carried off, and despite the fact that there were hundreds of people around, he was sure no one would tell him anything. Hassan's absence did not go unnoticed and the Doctor's suspicion was awakened. There was no sign of Rose. Perhaps Hassan would be easier to find.

In a city of hundreds of thousands one boy held the answers the Doctor needed.

In the year five billion, money still ruled and the same principle applied to ancient times. Hassan was well known among the merchants, not as a thief or beggar, but as a helpful orphan trying to earn a living for himself. The Doctor learned that Hassan had once had an older sister. He heard many different stories explaining her absence - the girl had gone off and married someone and abandoned her brother, or she'd run away, or she was dead. The fact was that Hassan's sister was no longer in the picture and therefore he was on his own.

The boy didn't have a home, but the Doctor learned that he could often be found near the food market, accepting discarded scraps from vendors. The Doctor's intuition about people wasn't always reliable, but he'd been right about choosing Rose, and he'd thought so about Hassan too. He found the boy in due time, sitting in the shade of a fruit cart eating dates.

The boy's instincts were sound ones and he was on his feet and bolting away from the Doctor a second before he reached the boy. Luckily the Doctor's legs were significantly longer and he caught up with Hassan after only three strides.

"Oi, you!" The Doctor exclaimed. Catching Hassan by the scruff of the neck he guided the boy into an alcove. "Now, I'm not known for my intimidation skills or my menacing glare, but let me assure you, I've got both down to a fine art. You saw what happened to Rose?" Hassan was silent, unable to look the Doctor in the eye. The Doctor's demeanor shifted when he couldn't help but notice the fear coming off the boy in waves. He took a step back and lay a comforting hand on Hassan's shoulder.

"If I tell you..." Hassan began, but his voice faded.

"Tell me what happened to Rose, and I'll protect you." Hassan tried to speak, but was unable to find his voice. That dread that the Doctor had been feeling since he lost Rose was increasing exponentially the more frightened Hassan appeared to be. "Hassan, please. _Please."_

_"_No one will tell you what happened to your woman because it means that one of their daughters has been spared."

"Spared? Spared from what?"

"It has been this way for as long as I can remember. With every full moon, the Evening Star appears in the northern sky, and the day before the moon rises a daughter of the city is taken." The Doctor's jaw tensed and he felt his hearts beat faster as his anger rose.

"Where are they taken?"

"To the palace. To the King."

"For what! To be put in his bloody harem?"

"I do not know why they are taken. Merely that they are. My sister...I saw it happen. I tried to stop them, but they pressed something to my side..." Hassan pulled up his shirt to reveal a starburst shaped scar four inches in diameter. The Doctor frowned. He'd seen scars like that before, and the weapon that caused it. A weapon that wasn't from Earth. It _never_ ended. He'd thought he'd brought them to a nice, safe, innocuous but flavorful part of human history, but no, there were aliens here and they'd absconded with a woman he was very much attached to.

"You woke up, hours or even days later with that burn on your side?"

Hassan nodded. The Doctor cursed under his breath. He didn't know what on this Earth, or in the Universe for that matter, this meant for Rose, but he knew it was most definitely not good. "Hassan, I need to get into the palace, I need to find Rose before something terrible happens to her. If I can find out what's happening, I might be able to stop any more girls from disappearing."

"My sister..."

"That's why you ran off?"

"Yes."

"Will you take me to the palace?" The boy nodded.

"But we must wait until night. Guards line all the roads that lead to the palace. No one is permitted to approach."

"Go my ways, me. I'm a sneaky sort. Don't worry about it. Just take me as close as you can and I'll figure out a way inside."

Rose was growing ever weary and had trouble staying awake, the air was stiffling and she knew she'd lost consciousness a few times on her journey to wherever her destination ended up being. She was off the cart that had been transporting her and was now being carried on foot. There were more voices around her and the cracks of sunlight she'd seen were gone and replaced with a slightly blue sheen.

Steeling herself, Rose summoned all her strength. She pulled in energy from around her, using her fear and her anger and her desires to return to the Doctor's side to help her gain focus. She brought images into her mind of their reunion and what would follow. She pictured them in the TARDIS, the one place in all the Universe she felt was _home._

She closed her eyes and waited. No matter what she saw when this prison was opened she was going to fight. She'd knock her way through the walls with her bare knuckled fists if she had to. If she'd learned anything from the Doctor it was self preservation. She'd been violently kidnapped, so negotiating and talking with her abductors would be pointless. What sort of commodity was she other than the obvious one? Her mind showed her the Doctor again and the love that was growing for him made her ache for want of being in his arms. And the lack of him brought her anger full circle. She was ready.

The sound of a lock being turned was detected and with the first deep breath of fresh air, Rose tensed. She opened her eyes and squinted at first before sight adjusted. Above her was a ceiling of ornate mosaics and tiles. A large man dressed in robes came over her, reaching down to pull her out. Rose snapped into action. She brought her knees up and kicked out with all her might. She hit him square in the face and she winced against the sound of his nose breaking. She scrambled out of the coffin and immediately three more men were coming for her. The one she'd injured was enraged and cursing through a bloody face while the other three were giving her menacing glares that rivaled some of the alien species she'd seen.

She darted to the left and evaded their snare. Nausea overwhelmed her, but she pressed on, heading towards the only door she could see. However from that same door another two men appeared. She skidded to a halt and backed away from the gang that was now six men strong. She registered the blow to the side of her face after she'd landed on the ground. Suddenly everything hurt and her weariness amplified. She was grabbed by both her arms and pulled up, then slammed against the wall. In a daze she looked up, just in time to see the long staff with the electrical charge sparking from its end coming towards her at the hands of the one whose nose she'd broken.

"DOCTOR!" she cried as the voltage coursed through her body.

The Doctor paused, a sudden queasiness making itself known at the back of his throat. He lurched once, then the nausea hit him at full force. It was a sensation not unlike the time the TARDIS was unexpectedly sucked through a worm hole in space. He staggered and then dropped to his knees. His stomach roiled and his muscles cramped. He'd never had an experience quite like this one. Hassan dragged him off the street and into a darkened alcove while the Doctor convulsed.

An instant later he was connected to her. To Rose. He was flooded with the sense of her and her emotions. Fear, anger, despair, longing all converging upon his psyche at once. And there was pain, unbelievable pain. He reached out to her, but the connection was abruptly severed and he was left bereft and shaking. What were they doing to her? And how had he been able to feel it? More importantly, how was he going to save her from it?

The one thing he did know was how to make _them_ pay for daring to cross a Time Lord.

Chapter 4 - The Messenger

_Got a letter from a messenger  
I read it when it came  
It said that you were wounded  
You were bound and chained  
You had love and you were handled  
You were poisoned  
You were pained  
Oh no you were naked  
You were shamed_

This time when Rose returned to consciousness, she was met with temperate air and a cool cloth laying over her forehead. "Doctor?" she whispered. There was a comforting hand on her shoulder, keeping her laying down on the mattress below her. There was an ache below her breast and when she went to touch it, the other person's hand ceased her actions.

"I've dressed your wound," a female voice spoke. "There will be a scar, but you are no longer bleeding and already you are healing. I've never seen the like." Groggily Rose sat up and the pain on her stomach flared and she cried out.

"Where am I? What's your name?" she asked of the dark haired woman dressed in an ornate outfit. The woman's eyes were large, almost black and completely hypnotic. Rose was laying on a rather comfortable bed, and shocked to find herself without clothing. "Where the bloody hell are my clothes?"

"Please, you must relax or you'll injure yourself further. Your clothes were burnt and bloodied. I will give you something of mine to wear." Rose scowled and stopped trying to move, but was unable to relax.

"Answer my questions."

"My name is Zahira and you shouldn't have angered the Quilah."

"Who are the Quilah?" The woman sighed and withdrew from the bedside. Rose observed as she walked to a basket, opened the lid and brought out several items of clothing.

"They are the royal guard. You broke the captain's nose." Zahira smiled, giving away her opinion of the incident. She handed Rose the clothing. "Here, you may wear these. I'll help you to dress."

"What do you do here? Why have I been kidnapped?"

"I...I am no one. No one here knows my name, I simply obey orders and pray that I am allowed to remain. The others, the other women do not stay long. They take a new girl with each full moon. Sometimes the King, he tires of a woman and replaces her. I have been here a long time. New girls usually only last one night."

That sounded ominous and Rose cringed. If it wasn't for the pain in her side, she'd be on her feet already tying the sheets together and repelling down the outside wall to freedom.

"Is there any way out of 'ere?"

Zahira shook her head. "Of course not. I would not be here if there was a way. I wish to return to the life I knew before, but there are hundreds of Quilah and they are users of magic, as you experienced." She pointed to Rose's bandaged side.

"Felt more like a cattle prod if you ask me. You were taken at some point?"

"Yes, likely the same as you. I remember being inside the box."

"So explain to me what's really going on. There's a King, yeah? Are we part of his harem now or something ridiculous like that?"

"I don't know what has happened with the other women. I can only speak of my experience, and I do not wish to. If I do my master's bidding, I am not harmed or punished. Those who resist are not seen again."

"Yeah, well, got me a back up don't I? He'll come for me." The confidence Rose spoke with even surprised herself. She _knew_ without question that the Doctor would come for her. It was almost as if she could feel his determination.

"Who?"

"My...my companion."

"A husband? It matters not. No one can breach the palace's defenses. You think no one has tried? Countless girls from the richest to the beggar on the streets have been taken and you think their families have not tried to bargain? Or fight their way in? It ends in death every time." Rose forced herself into a seated position, taking the clothes and trying to dress. Zahira said nothing as she helped Rose into the outfit. The Londoner winced and whimpered with every motion of her body.

"My man's clever, alright? He's gotten me outta worse situations than this and if you help me, he'll get you out too. I promise."

The garment consisted of a pair of white silk pants around which a sarong of an embroidered emerald green fabric was wrapped. A skimpy white, low-cut _and_ cropped top went on next, followed by another wrapping that covered and protected Rose's wound. She inconspicuously checked underneath her hair that her gift from the Doctor and her TARDIS key were untouched. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt them still secured in place. When the chore was finished and Rose had been given a pair of slippers to match her outfit, she prodded Zahira again for information and hopefully assistance.

"How did I get in this room with you?" Rose asked, looking around the lavish dwelling that consisted of a bed, several amenities and a window with iron bars blocking the exit.

"The Quilah brought you and told me to care for you. It is my responsibility to prepare the women for the King."

"So when am I supposed to meet this King then?"

"When the moon rises. A few hours from now."

"Terrific." Rose sat back down on the bed and motioned for Zahira to join her. She looked the young woman in the eye. "Look, I know you're scared and I know you can't possibly like being a virtual slave here. I _am_ going to try everything I can to get out of here and back to...to...to the man I love. I rather die than be some old git's beck and call girl. Alright? And I can get you out of here, I swear it. The Doctor never leaves an innocent person behind if he can help it. And I'll make him help it."

"Doctor?"

"That's his name. He's resourceful like you wouldn't believe, he's brilliant!"

"You love him very much." Rose smiled, feeling a warmth spread over her at the thought of him.

"Yeah, I guess I do." She then promised herself the first words she'd speak to him upon their reunion would be _I love you._

"Then for his sake, I hope he forgets you. His only alternative will be certain death."

After each regeneration cycle, the Doctor always went through a period of disorientation and a queasiness from being in a new skin. It was not unlike how he'd felt for the past few hours. He was finally coming around and colors no longer danced in front of his eyes. Hassan had been bringing him water, which he'd been gratefully downing in long gulps. He was not stressed by the heat due to his Gallifreyan physiology, but the water was helping his dizzying sensations dissipate.

Never in all his centuries had he experienced something so foreign and raw. By nature his people were in possession of certain telepathic abilities, but he'd never been especially in tune with them. It was as if suddenly someone had opened a door to a dark room and the bright, hot light of a noon day sun had come streaming it. It had been Rose he'd felt. Her fear was acute and he felt it in his guts as if someone had been pulling out his spinal nerves. But that was nothing compared to what had followed. From the center point of his solar plexus a dreadful sickness had overcome him like being impaled and an electric, insidious pain travelled out from synapse to synapse until it had encompassed him entirely and all the while he knew that it came from Rose.

Someone had hurt her. And the knowledge of it made him want to unmake this world. Destroy the entire galaxy. He cursed the weakness of his body and the time that was being wasted when he should be storming the palace gates. Dusk had fallen and the stars had begun to appear in the sky. He got to his feet and stared up towards the darkening sky, perplexed. He knew Earth well enough to know when there was a superfluous star in its skies. The constellation of Oursa Major was not as it should be. There was an extra star on the one end.

Hassan stood next to the Doctor, following his gaze. "The Evening Star for which the King named our city," the boy explained.

"That's no star. That's a satellite." This was no coincidence. It was remotely plausible that the alien weapon that had been used on Hassan was accidentally left here by an interstellar traveller and some foolish ape had gotten his hands on it. But to have the evidence coincide with the fact that there was a satellite or something larger, a ship perhaps, in the skies? Not possible. There was a connection. And it lead him to one conclusion, Rose was in more danger than he'd ever imagined. And so was the entire human race.

Getting Zahira to open up about her past and what she knew about what went on in the palace was like trying to get the Doctor not to whinge about having to go back to Earth every five days when they ran out of milk. But Rose knew she needed to help the Doctor any way she could and gathering information was valuable, essential even. The more they knew about the situation, the easier it would be for the Doctor to find a way to rectify it. Who knew how many women had been stolen from their lives and their families. It was just the sort of injustice she and the Doctor had made a life of rectifying.

"S'what's up with these Quilah blokes?" Rose asked conversationally, trying to prompt Zahira to reveal information. "I mean honestly, with the zapping people."

"I do not understand," the girl replied, busing herself by pretending to tidy the room. "Does your wound hurt?"

"It's a bit numb. Whatever you put on it seems to be doing the trick.You said there'd be a scar?" Zahira paused and moved a piece of her own wrap aside from her torso, revealing a distinct scar in a starburst formation. "Oh..."

"You will not do as I say, will you? You'll continue to ask these questions of yours?"

"Got it in one, give the girl a prize. Look at me, Zahira. I'm serious. If you tell me what I need to know, I can get us out of here."

"There is no point..."

"Don't bloody say that, alright!" Rose was becoming increasingly frustrated, but managed to reign in her anger quick enough. She walked over to the girl, placing both hands on her shoulders and looking her straight in the eye. "I know you're scared. I can feel it coming off you like a tidal wave. Whatever's been done to you I need to know. I need to know so I can tell the Doctor when he comes. He'll put a stop to this, I swear it."

"Is he as devoted to you as you are to him?" Rose cast he eyes down for a moment, asking herself the same question.

"I know he'd never abandon me, or let me go without a fight. We're a team, yeah? And maybe a little more. He's coming for me, and I plan to meet him half way. So, tell me, please. You can trust me." There were suddenly tears in Zahira's eyes. As the poor girl continued to break down, Rose led her to the bed and wrapped her in a comforting hug. After a time the girl calmed and began her story.

"I have been here for nearly a year, in this time I have spoken to no one. When the Quilah come I do nothing but obey their orders. Speaking will result in punishment and I learned my lesson the first time. So many girls have come and I have prepared them all to be sent to meet the King. It is terrible, as they cry and beg for mercy when the Quilah take them. Their fears are fodder for the Quilah, they relish in it. I was not the first to come here. It has been happening for a long time, but I do not know just how long. There were others before me who stayed, who were permitted to survive."

"Survive what?" Zahira trembled and Rose gripped the girl's hand. "If they're coming for me, I want to know what's going to happen."

"The King he..."

"He what? He hurt you? He...did he rape you? Is that it?" Zahira shook her head.

"I could've fought against that, I could've at the least kept my pride. You'll be defenseless, he will take and take from you until nothing is left."

"Take? What does he take?"

"He leaves just enough to keep you alive. In time it comes back, but he waits. He waits."

"You're not making sense."

"Your soul. He eats your soul."

Night had fallen on the City of the Evening Star by the time the Doctor and Hassan reached the road that led to the palace. The Doctor had recovered from his earlier bout and the determination he'd felt at the initial knowledge of Rose's disappearance had returned. And certainly the hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of menacing Arabians armed with scimitars and less than cheerful dispositions were daunting, but the Doctor decided to try the direct approach.

He sent Hassan away, knowing he'd likely never see the boy again. The orphan would go back to his solitary life of working too hard for too little. The Doctor pressed a bag of gold coins into the boy's hands before they parted, in thanks for leading him to the palace.

The Doctor reached into his jacket and brought out both his sonic screwdriver and the TARDIS key. To his immense pleasure as well as surprise, the key was no longer cool to the touch. There was definite warmth to it and that heartened him. Rose was inside these walls. He smiled to himself and then slipped the key down inside his boot. Better safe than sorry. In his opposite boot he secured the sonic screwdriver.

He stepped out on to the road and set a determined pace towards the front gates of the palace. The guards that lined the path were dumbfounded by the Doctor's audacity at simply marching up towards the front gate. It wasn't until he came to the very door of the palace that the guards sprang into action.

The Doctor was surrounded with dozens of scimitars wielded towards his throat. "Evenin' gents," the Doctor said in his usual cheery tone. "I'd like to have a word with that King fellow of yours if I may."

Chapter 5 - One Step Closer

_You've always been  
You've always known  
That all this time  
I've been alone  
I've always searched  
For what I've lost  
Beneath a rose  
Behind a cross  
You're always there  
You're everywhere  
Will it take us forever_

Certainly not the most cunning a plan ever ingeniated, the Doctor had decided. "A smarter man would've gone back to his time ship and just landed it inside the palace, maybe in the courtyard," he spoke aloud from his cell in the palace dungeon. "A smarter man would've known that a sonic screwdriver cannot be passed off as a utensil for pitting dates."

He sighed, sitting on the dusty floor of a dark room with bars for a door. He'd been in jail cells before, but this was a new low even for him. They'd taken the sonic screwdriver - a great loss - but at least they hadn't found his TARDIS key. He'd since retrieved it from his sock and had been holding it in his palm. It felt distinctly warm, and not from his touch. He was so close to Rose, but he'd never felt more amputated from her.

He cracked his neck on both sides, rolled his shoulders, then ran his hand over his scalp. Whenever he did something endearing Rose would pet the back of his head. Sometimes she'd come into the control room late a night when he was to over tired and couldn't sleep. He'd be working on the TARDIS and she'd walk up behind him and let the softness of his short hair caress her palm. She'd encourage him to have a cup of tea with her and before their cups were empty he'd be yawning and soon off to a good night's sleep. She took care of him. She made sure he ate and slept. And when the darkness seemed to creep in upon him, she was there to shed her light and show him the path to follow back to her. Back to a life full of joy, trust, companionship and maybe something more. Something so indescribably wonderful he was certain he'd perish without it. Rose was as vital to him as the air he breathed.

The Quilah had abandoned him for dead. His hearing was pretty keen and he knew he was the only prisoner in this vast labyrinth of cells. That was until he heard a distinct sound that made him practically leap for joy. "Oh please!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Come this way! I need your help!"

The sable colored cat meowed loudly and presented itself at the cell's door. The Doctor scrambled over, kneeling down at the cat's level. "Blimey, I think I've caught a good luck virus! Can you help?" The cat meowed in a questioning manner. "Right, well I had this tool, it's about seven inches in length, made of metal with a luminous core, can't miss it. If you can find it that is." Once again the cat spoke. "You know where it is? Fantastic!" With a bob of its head the cat darted away, back from where it came. The Doctor sagged against the bars and then yelped with glee.

It was not commonly known that cats were a highly developed species on Earth. The ancient Egyptians knew this and worshipped them accordingly. The cats chose to allow humans to care for them, all the way into the 90th Century, at which point the cats claimed Greece for themselves and had most of the human population ousted.

When the Doctor had come to the palace the cats within had sent an emissary to assist the infamous Time Lord.

The Doctor waited impatiently for the cat's return. Knowing how close he was to reuniting with Rose was trying his patience. He felt very unlike himself, being so on edge. He was used to danger and intense moments, but somehow this waiting was infinitely more agonizing. He imagined what it would be like to finally see her again, to enfold her in his arms and maybe to kiss her. He never used to have thoughts such as these, at least never ones so strong. He worried maybe he was becoming obsessed.

His sonic screwdriver rolled casually across his line of vision, heralded by another confident meow from the cat. The Doctor snatched up his treasured instrument and within seconds the lock was opened.

Upon crossing the threshold and freedom from his cell, the Doctor's steel hard determination returned. The cat, ethereal creature that it was knew this and nudged the Doctor's leg with its shoulder, indicating that he should follow. The underground dungeon was a veritable labyrinth and without the cat's assistance, the Doctor doubted he could have maneuvered himself out of the maze. The cat it seemed to have appointed itself the Time Lord's official guide and once the pair approached the main floor of the palace, the cat ducked into a hidden alcove. The Doctor follow suit and hid himself, just moments before a throng of Quilah filed past.

"Close call that one, mate," the Doctor whispered. "Can't thank you enough. But if I might impose for one more favour, do you happen to know where they've taken my companion? Young girl, blonde with brown eyes...like these endless pools of...soul." The Doctor ceased waxing poetic when the cat meowed and darted off after the Quilah guards.

Rose had asked Zahira more questions while she tried to comfort the young woman, but the Arabian girl had closed herself off. Rose examined the room, and found there was no escape save for the locked door. There was nothing that could be used as a reliable weapon. The Londoner let out a frustrated growl and began pacing, ignoring the ache in her side. Her wound was healing, but the stabs of pain radiating across her middle remained, as well as the sharp, hot jabs if she stretched in the least. After this she was going to request that she and the Doctor take some time to visit good old reliable London two-thousand and five, and insist they stay at the flat. After all the jeopardy she'd found here she felt the Doctor deserved a little quality time getting to know her mother.

There was little warning that someone was joining them until the door burst open and several Quilah guards filed in. Zahira snapped back to herself and rose to attention, her eyes cast downwards. The men advanced on Rose, grabbing her arms and pulling her from the room. Zahira remained motionless, helpless with tears streaming down her cheeks. Rose struggled, but her earlier injury hampered her greatly. They dragged her from the room, laughing at her predicament. At the base of her scalp she felt a increasing warmth as the TARDIS key became hot. The Doctor was near.

"DOCTOR!" she cried. "Doctor I'm here!" After such an outburst she quickly had a meaty paw covering her mouth as her body was forcibly lifted from the floor. She sobbed in agony as her injured side began to bleed again from the rough treatment. The Quilah quickened their march, taking the poor young girl to meet her fate at the hands of the much feared King.

The cat had disappeared, too quick for the Doctor to keep up, but its services were no longer needed when his TARDIS key grew hot in his coat pocket. Rose was near. He came around a corner to a vacant corridor, that was until a young woman with black hair stepped out from a room. She looked up at him with tear stained cheeks and a trembling bottom lip. The Doctor halted and they stared at each other for moment.

"Have you seen..." the Doctor began, but stopped when she held her hand up to silence him.

"They've taken her to the King. There is not much time, once he has her there is no hope," she explained. "You are the Doctor?"

"Yes."

"She told me that you would come, she believes in you. Go...you must stop them from harming her."

"I want you to do something, go down into the dungeon and hide. I'll come find you in a few minutes. Trust me, just a few minutes. I'll be back with Rose before you know it." From behind him the Doctor heard the cat's cry. "Follow the cat. He'll show you where to hide. Trust me." Zahira nodded, still in somewhat of a daze.

Seconds later he heard Rose cry out for him and he was off in a flash and followed the echo of her voice. He sprinted up a winding staircase and out across an exposed courtyard. Innumerable Quilah watched his lithe form speed by them before jumping into action themselves. With who knows who ahead of him and dozens of armed an angry Quilah hot on his heals the Doctor pressed on.

"ROSE!" he called, searching vainly for another sign of where she was. To be so close, yet not know was sheer torture. He gained distance between him and the guards with the fast strides of his long legs. With the pounding rhythm of his foot falls in his ears, his hearts thudding in his chest and his dark determination, the Doctor reached out for Rose with his mind. His race were telepathic by nature and it had never much bothered him that he was inept at utilizing it, but he needed it now, more than ever.

The world around him disappeared as he ran, an otherworldly hand guiding his every turn. He saw...felt, only Rose. He ambled down a long corridor, closing in on a group of fast moving Quilah, a small pale body fighting against them. Two guards appeared from another corridor, crossing into his path. The Doctor was not a violent man when he was at his best, but the situation allowed for him to act without recourse. One didn't live nine hundred years without investing a little time in learning how to handle themselves in hand to hand combat. The two men didn't have their swords drawn, which allowed the Doctor to attack them not with brute strength, but a few well chosen jabs of his hands at the pressure points on their necks and torsos. The caustic shock that hit the guards' systems sent them to the ground, disoriented and convulsing. Choosing to even the playing field, the Doctor relieved the men of their scimitars and continued on after his companion.

This was not a time for quips or snide comments from the Doctor to distract or disarm his enemies. There was only the fight, the deadly cold violence of a man protecting the one who was most precious to him. With deft accuracy the Doctor sliced into the guards, not fatally but more than enough to hinder them from following. Rose's body was dropped to the ground and she cried out. The sound fueled his anger. He didn't rightly know what power had taken him over, but he was becoming increasingly out of control.

Rose was abandoned by the Quilah as they withdrew their swords and went on the attack against the newcomer. Rose crawled away from the ensuing battle and sat herself up with her back against the wall. She hadn't yet bled through her bandages, but she felt nauseous from the pain it was causing. Tears pricked at her eyes while she watched her savior in action. She'd never seen him move so fluidly. The physical demeanour and characteristics she'd come to know her Doctor by seemed to have receded and this new man had emerged. This man who was lunging and parrying and swirling two swords about his head and into the Quilah warriors was entirely new to her. The expression on his face was void of emotion, he was hardened and merciless and it scared her. And it excited her. She banished those thoughts from her mind and struggled to her feet, relying heavily on the wall for support.

"Doctor..." she spoke, her voice strangled from the pain she was experiencing. She drew in a deep breath, wincing as her wound stretched. "DOCTOR!" His head snapped towards her direction, they held each others gaze for a second or two before he dropped his swords and escaped the battle, rushing to her side. He was about to envelope her in a hug, when the angry sounds of the Quilah spurned them into action. He grabbed her hand, but gave her no smile.

"Run!" He pulled her along down the corridor, Rose doing her best to ignore how her body protested. She stumbled several times, but the Doctor's momentum kept her going. More guards appeared from other parts of the castle, the alarm obviously having been sounded. The Doctor was on a roll, but Rose was hampering him to the point where the guards were beginning to surround them. Searching for alternatives the Doctor spied a new route to their escape. They sprinted down an off shoot from the main corridor towards what appeared to Rose to be a window. The skidded to a halt and the Doctor pulled her up with him on to the ledge. Before them was gorgeous red expanse of shimmering fabric that was stretched over a vacant courtyard. It was secured a few feet below the window and glided down to the ground. It didn't quell any of Rose's fears that the makeshift slide seemed to be about two hundred feet length. "Do you suppose that's silk? Nice outfit by the way." He asked himself why he was making wise cracks at a time like this, it certainly wasn't how he was feeling. In this moment he wanted nothing more than peace and quiet and to hold her in his arms.

"Wha...?"

"Hope so, it'll support our weight then. Ready?"

"Huh!"

"JUMP!" He had to pull her with him. They bounced first when they landed on the fabric. They then began sliding down at an ever increasing speed, the wind biting into the skin of their faces. Rose lost hold of the Doctor's hand and went tumbling out of control. At the end of the great slide she was caught, seemingly in mid air but when she looked up at the face of the person that held her it was not the Doctor. This man was unlike any she'd seen before. She was quite sure he wasn't even a man. She knew an alien when she saw one. This creature looked for the most part like a human being, with his broad features and wide shoulders. But his hairless skin seemed to have an unnatural yellow tinge to it and it was stretched just a little bit to tight to be natural. There were archaic patterns covering his face a shade darker than his flesh, barely noticeable, but definitely there. His eyes were the most obvious clue that this man was not of Earth. They too large and were blue, but also milky and reflective like a Topaz gem. He smiled, revealing many rows of white, pin like teeth. Rose struggled out of his grasp and found herself soon on the ground. She looked around for the Doctor, finding him in the clutches of the Quilah, kneeling before the alien.

"The trouble you cause, Doctor," the yellow man spoke, his voice oozing vitriol. "Is this any way to behave before a King."

"You're no more King of these people, Quilahjahnor, than the monkey in that palm tree over there!" the Doctor replied, returning the spiteful tone. The _King _smirked, then turned his attention to Rose. He reached out and grasped her by her chin, effortless bringing her to her feet. She cried out in pain and for the first time the Doctor noticed that she was injured. There was blood staining her white garments.

"Isn't this a pretty one you've found for yourself." The alien looked Rose from head to toe, inspecting her with a lecherous gaze. His other hand closed around her throat drawing her near to him. "I imagine she tastes...of innocence. Does she Doctor?"

"She has nothing to do with this, let her go!"

"It's because of you that I am here. I never thought to have my revenge. But this lovely child you've delivered to me is perfect."

"Doctor?" Rose cried, a desperate plea. Quilahjahnor extended a skeletal hand over her face and cradled the back of her head. He turned her to look at the Doctor, drawing her back against his tall body.

"This little one is precious to you, Doctor? Do not lie." The fear in Rose's eyes made the Doctor's chest ache. All too often his choices in the past came back to haunt him. Why did Rose have to be the one to suffer. She looked to him, her gaze holding his, silently begging him to help her.

With his eyes fixated solely on Rose, the Doctor answered,"Yes."

"Would you kill for her?" The Doctor's eyes darkened, his entire demeanour changing into one Rose had only ever seen when he'd confronted the Dalek in the sunlight.

"Yes."

"Would you die for her?"

"Yes." Tears came to Rose's eyes and the Doctor's hearts swelled with the shared emotion.

"Do you love her?"

The guards tightened their grip on the Doctor's arms and another placed a sword at the Doctor's throat, prompting him to answer. His gaze hadn't faltered from Rose's. They'd locked eyes, emotion teeming between them and the present danger amplifying it. The Doctor knew that this was the time for honesty above all else. There was nothing left, no escape. He wouldn't deny her the truth. In all honesty, he couldn't deny her anything.

The Doctor smiled at Rose, the barest hint of a grin. "Yes. I love her."

Quilahjahnor laughed, a deep rumble beginning in his chest and coming out as a near cackle. "The Time Lord reduced to this? A besotted fool. Where is the ruthless killer I've known?"

"Trust me, he's still here. You'll let us go, or I promise you won't make it off this planet. I stopped you once, I'll do it again. Permanently. I won't make the mistake of allowing you to live this time around."

"There isn't much point in my being gracious then, is there? sDoctor? Beg for her life...I'd like to see that." What the Doctor had been fearing all this time was beginning. Quilahjahnor's milky eyes darkened to gray and then black. He turned Rose to face him, a cruel smile painted itself across his face as his teeth took on a metallic sheen and turned to silver. Rose tried to look away, but as much as she tried to close her eyes and her mouth, they widened against her will. From deep in her belly she felt a sickness rising, a sharp and wretched feeling that would've had her screaming if she'd had a voice. The black void of Quilahjahnor's eyes bore into her and she found herself sinking deeper into a mire, her rational thought evaporating. She heard the voice of the Doctor calling out to her to resist, but it faded away into white noise.

The entire ordeal played out like a dream. She felt him crawling inside her, searching through her veins, through her psyche until he found the treasure hidden deep inside - her soul. His claws and teeth sank into her life-force and a tug of war between her and the King commenced. He was pulling her essence from her body and she felt it stream from her eyes, her nose and her mouth and he gobbled it up like so much fodder. She didn't have the power within herself to stop him.

She knew she was dying and lamented that she'd never told the Doctor that she loved him too.

Chapter 6 - The Watcher

_I'm burning like a fire without end  
As I'm turning into storm clouds twisting in the wind  
I surrender everything...remember everything  
_

_ And please...watch over me  
Because I've fallen down  
And I can't carry on  
No I won't carry on...without you _

The infinite scope of time originated in seconds. Nano seconds. A moment of time barely perceptible by humans that to a Time Lord could be expanded exponentially. The Doctor witnessed the change come over Rose like a slow creeping death despite the fact that it took less than ten seconds for Quilajahnor to work his will upon her. Her young life would be snuffed out in little more than a minute unless he stopped it. The Quilah guards held him firmly with a sword at his throat, making his escape seem impossible.

The Doctor didn't need telepathy to sense the torment Rose was experiencing. He'd seen Quilahjahnor in action before and the knowledge that he'd allowed this monster to escape in the first place sickened him. Rose couldn't hear him shout for her to resist, not that it was possible. Quilahjahnor was of a race that had formidable abilities - particularly the ability to drain a person's life force and eventually leave them an empty shell.

He loved Rose. He'd said it to her and meant it with every fiber of his being. And if he didn't stop this violation of her body and soul, finally being able to admit it would all be for naught.

Acting purely on instinct the Doctor allowed the scene before him to fade away. He concentrated on the young woman no more than ten meters from his grasp. He closed his eyes and let the memories of their adventures and intimate bonding moments flood through him. The feel of their fingers entwined and the sensation of her breath tickling over his chest when they'd shared a bed came to the forefront. He realized that this newly professed love for her had been present all along. Since he'd first taken her hand in his and told her to run.

His fingers were long and could almost reach her wrist when they laced theirs together. She always squeezed back so tightly, infusing him with her warmth and her spirit. After the Time War he was a wandering loner with little regard for his own well being. He kept himself alive and got out of many a tense situation, but later when it was all over and he was alone in the TARDIS he was haunted and tormented by his memories. And his loneliness was so profound. It cut him to the bone.

Since Rose had come into his life, things had changed. The emotional wounds he'd suffered from the Time War were healing and it was all due to this one small human girl. And he'd fallen hopelessly, helplessly in love with her.

The Doctor opened his eyes. The Quilah no longer held him prisoner. He looked back at them briefly, their bodies still in position, but their hands empty. In fact every single last person, insect and molecule in the air appeared as if they were frozen, Rose and Quilahjahnor included. There was more to being a Time Lord than travelling to the past and the future. He could control it, manipulate it. He couldn't however stop it. Instead he'd phased himself out of the normal progression of time, speeding himself up to the degree that the rest of the world appeared to be in stasis. He looked down at his hand and found it grasping Rose's. In the next moment she coughed and cried out, collapsing against him. The link established by Quilahjahnor had been severed when they'd touched. He'd brought her into his own state of time. He released her hand and caught her shaking body, scooping her up into his arms.

"There now, I've got you Rose," the Doctor said. She was weeping her distress, barely aware that she was no long in death's grasp. Leaving the scene behind them, the Doctor walked quickly in search of an exit from the palace. "You're going to be alright, love."

Rose curled herself against him, burying her face into his chest, feeling sick and scared. Her vision was blurred and her head hurt something fierce, but she knew she was where she belonged. Where she was safe.

"Love...you..." she mumbled, her speech slurred and barely audible. The Doctor was too concerned with their escape to have heard her confession. Behind them the outraged cry of Quilahjahnor was heard as time reset itself now that the Doctor's concentration had shifted to the woman cradled in his arms. The Doctor broke into a run, the Quilah guards hot on his heels.

"Never bloody ends!" he spat, frustration in his voice.

"Tt...TARDIS..." Rose said, lifting her head and forcing the words out loud enough for him to hear."

"Yes I know, we'll get to it as soon as we can, but it's on the other side of the city, Rose."

"Nno..no..s'right there..." She lifted a weak arm and pointed to the big blue police box situated at the other end of the courtyard near the fountains. The Doctor didn't have time to register his surprise, he merely quickened his pace in hopes of outrunning the guards. He came to a grinding halt at the foot of the TARDIS, frantically trying to reach into his coat pocket for his key. With the last of her reserves, Rose reached out and touched the door. With a light creak from the hinges the door opened effortlessly. The Doctor hurried them inside, closing the door with his foot and locking it. There were angry fists pounding on the ship's door, but the Doctor paid it no mind. He rested briefly, sagging against the door, but the limp body in his arms reminded him that there were more pressing matters to attend.

Mercifully, the TARDIS reshaped its corridors to aid the Doctor in reaching the MedLab quickly. He entered the sterile, rather stark white room and gently lay Rose down on the examination table in the center. She appeared listless and pale, and the Doctor knew she wasn't sleeping, but coming dangerously close to slipping into a coma. Methodically he lay out various instruments and vials. He inserted the vials into a metallic capsule with a series of tiny needles on the end. He pressed it to her neck and injected the contents of the vial. A few seconds later Rose's eyes shot open. She was frantic, and crying out, but the Doctor's strong hands pressed her back to the bed. When she saw his face she began to calm.

"Shhh, you're alright. You're with me, we're in the TARDIS," he soothed, taking her hand in his.

"Doctor? How..." she gasped. "What's happening?"

"I've just given you a shot of endorphins and adrenaline. You're going to feel out of it for a bit, just try and relax while I patch you up."

"I think I'm gonna be sick." The Doctor injected her with another vial of medicine and she relaxed. "That worked."

"Good thing, I like this jacket."

"I like your old one. I'm not dead?" He touched her bruised cheek from where the Quilah had struck her. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"No, not dead. Not in the least bit dead, just a little depleted."

"Okay...go...good..." And with that she began to cry. The Doctor enfolded her in his arms, pressing kisses to the top of her head and trying to reassure her that the worst was over with. After a time, her sobbing faded away to more sniffles and she cleaved to the Doctor's secure embrace. She pulled back after a little while, touching the moist spot on his white shirt where her tears had gathered. "Sorry...don't know what came over me."

"I'm not going to begrudge you a little post-trauma tears, Rose. How do you feel?" She shivered and fisted the material of his shirt in her hands. "Rose?"

"N...naked...it's like he's still crawling around inside me. I need a bath." He stroked her hair and gave her a smile.

"Just as soon as we do a little work on your injuries, alright? First things first, let me see your stomach." She let him go and lay back on the bed. The Doctor gingerly peeled away the wrap and then the blood soaked bandage that covered her side. She whimpered as the material was slowly pulled away and she didn't miss the brooding frown on the Doctor's face. He retrieved the dermal regenerator and passed its beam over her middle several times until he was satisfied she was fully healed. He then gently cleaned away the blood, revealing new pink skin and no signs of a scar. "Good as new!" His hand rested on her hip, his thumb rubbing back and forth over her healed wound.

"M'cheek hurts. One of them hit me." She watched the Doctor's jaw tense and he took up the dermal regenerator again. "I broke his nose first though." The Doctor smiled and soon enough her cheek was back to normal. They tried to keep their eyes locked together, but both felt suddenly withdrawn and shy. "You lost your hat."

He smirked and looked upwards, realizing for the first time that it hat was missing. "Shame, I looked good in that hat."

"You did. Doctor? He knew you." The Doctor's eyes closed and he let go of her hand, backing away. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and slowly began to pace back and forth in front of her.

"You deserve an explanation." Rose could tell that what he was about to share was going to be painful, like when he first told her about being the last Time Lord.

"Doctor, don't be standing so far away. C'mere." She held out her hand and reluctantly he took it, their fingers automatically threading together. Rose sat herself up and turned to face him, pulling him in so that he stood between her legs and could lean against the side of the bed. "Tell me."

The Doctor breathed in deep and exhaled before beginning. "Not too long before we met I found myself on another quiet unassuming planet just like this one. No technology, just small cultures in their beginning stages. I was looking for a particular ore that I needed for the TARDIS and this planet was supposed have it. I found a city, not unlike this one. There was something wrong there too. From what I'd last known of the planet they were relatively peaceful, but I found a warzone. Quilahjahnor is a rogue. His planet was destroyed in the Time War. Just as well, mind you. His people were a savage sort. He'd done what he's done here, set himself up as King. Only he had others of his kind to serve as guards. The phaser that they used on you had killed hundreds of men, thousands even. Quilahjahnor had been kidnapping their women and turning them into slaves to be taken off planet and sold."

"What kind of slaves, Doctor?" The Doctor was silent, concentrating on his fingers toying with hers.

"The women from that planet were lovely, delicate...just like humans. Just the sort that Quilahjahnor could get a high price for." By its own volition his cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking her face. "...so beautiful."

Rose leaned into his touch, covering his hand with hers. "What did you do?"

"Stopped him of course, returned his prisoners to their families. I thought he was dead. Obviously not. And now he's here, doing it again!"

"S'not your fault. You can't save everybody, and you've saved so many...you saved me."

"I was terrified Rose."

"I was almost a goner, that's for sure, but I'm all right now." He trembled slightly, closing the gap between them.

"I can't get the picture of him hurting you out of my mind. Just consuming you until there'd have been nothing of my Rose left..."

"Was that what he was doing? Eating my soul?"

"More or less. Don't know much about souls, me. He was taking the energy that gives you life. You'd have been a shell, your mind gone...your soul...there'd have been no spark. Oh Rose, I almost lost you!" He was visibly shaking now, on the verge of tears she thought. She wasn't sure just how to go about comforting him, she'd never seen him quite so distraught. She took his hand that caressed her face and closed it between both of hers, holding it close to her heart.

"Did you mean what you said down there? About me? Or was it just because you knew he was going to kill me?" He could barely look her in the eye. He seemed completely exhausted, as if he could fall over at any moment. Instead he backed away from her, slipping his hand away from hers.

"I think it's best if we take you home. You'd like seeing your mum, wouldn't you?"

"What's this? What are you doing? Don't be talking about me mum, okay? Since when can't you look me in the eye? Or tell me the truth. Was it a lie then?" She stood on wobbly legs and reached for him, but he wouldn't come to her. The tears came back to her eyes, along with contempt for his denial. "So that's it then, I'm back to being a stupid little ape. Too far beneath the bloody Time Lord to be worthy of...fine, take me home then, dump me off back into my dreary life. Might as well have killed me when I was baby. Or better yet, you should have left me to the Dalek!"

She stormed past him, hell bent on going to her room to pack up her belongings, but the Doctor grabbed her wrist. She waited, anchored to him and hopeful. "I do love you, Rose," the Doctor spoke, his voice quiet and resigned. "I've been alone for so long I'd forgotten what it was like to love someone, let alone be in love with them too. I didn't even know it was happening until it was too late. When Quilahjahnor had you, was draining your life from you...I can't remember ever feeling so frightened. So weak. If he'd taken you from me, I'd have been finished. Ten million Dalek ships couldn't have done it. Just you."

"You're a lion, Doctor, not a lamb," replied Rose, turning into him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Don't let my love make you weak. We belong together."

"Your love?"

"'Course my love! What? You thought I'd let you have this moment all to yourself. I'm in love with you Doctor."

"Oh!" The notion obviously surprised him, and he couldn't contain the glee that came hand in hand with the realization. He leaned down, hesitant, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. "Um, you'll have to forgive me if I'm bad at this. I can't remember the last time..."

"Doesn't matter!" She quickly closed the gap between them, pressing their lips together. They were both awkward to begin with, but soon enough their lips parted and gave way for their tongues to play. The Doctor stroked her mouth with his tongue while she melted into him. With arms enfolding each other, their kiss gave way to burgeoning desire and quickly mounted to a heated passion. They were ravenous with each other, hands squeezing and scoring along flesh, their lungs gasping for breath. The Doctor fisted his hands in her hair and abruptly broke them apart.

"What's this?" he asked, his hand finding the matted knot and something hard close to her scalp.

"K...key...TARDIS key..." He pulled back her hair to see the braid with her key and the emerald.

"You managed to keep them!"

"'Course...can't do to have lost the key to my own front door...and your gift, it was sentimental, means the world to me. I wasn't about to let them have it. It'll take a little work to get it out."

"It means the world to me that you've kept it. Um...let's...I mean, you probably want a bath, right? You said earlier."

"You could use one too, you're a bit dusty."

"Guess I am, hadn't really noticed." She took his hand, a sweet, shy smile appearing on her face.

The Doctor's bath was considerably larger than the one in Rose's room. More than enough room for two. As it filled with water, the Doctor went around muttering something about atmosphere. Rose had briefly ducked into her room in search of her favorite soaps and shampoo and was presently working the knots out of her hair. The emerald rested on her chest, dangling from a new chain the Doctor had provided for her. He told her the silvery metal was a virtually indestructible ore from a far off planet. She'd never lose her emerald.

The Doctor seemed rather nervous, jittery. He was complaining that he didn't have any candles, that this wasn't going to be much of a seduction. Rose grinned and continued to run the brush through her hair. He was adorable when he was out of his game.

"You don't need to be nervous Doctor. I don't bite. Unless you want me to of course," she said over her shoulder. From behind her there was a crash and a few curses in what she presumed was the Gallifreyan language. Now that her hair was brushed out and free of tangles and her make-up removed, Rose made her way to the ornate Victorian tub and turned off the water. It wasn't actually from the Victorian era, but gave the semblance that it was. Two people could sit next to each other and sink down to their ears if they so chose.

"Doctor?" she called. He entered from his bedroom a moment later, his hands empty. His jacket and boots were gone, but he still wore his dusty clothes, just as she still wore her bloodied garment.

"Sorry..." he said, not sure what he was apologizing for.

"Nervous?"

"No! Um, yes...well...I don't know. Nervous because it's new, not because it's you. I've never really done this sort of thing before. I don't do domestic, remember?"

"Not even for me?" She drew closer, boldly inching her fingers around his belt, tugging him to her.

"For you Rose, I'd do anything. Which is what I wanted to do right now, make this nice for you." She went to work on unbuckling his belt.

"Sharing a bath with you period couldn't possibly be any nicer, or romantic for that matter, so don't worry yourself over it. We can dim the lights and the TARDIS'll keep the water nice n' warm. And the best part..." She pulled his belts from its loops and discarded it. "Is that I finally get to touch you like I've been fantasizing about since Cardiff 1869." That crooked grin that Rose loved so well made an appearance on the Doctor's face and it made her giggle. "Now let's see about getting you out of these clothes, shall we?"

"Er, right, well..." Paying no mind to his reluctance, she pulled his shirt over his head and let it join his belt on the floor. She traced his shoulders with her hands before resting them on his chest, feeling his hearts under each palm. "Rose..."

"Yes Doctor?" He seemed a bit at a loss for words. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss, gently coaxing his lips apart with her tongue until he succumbed. Every time she kissed him he knew he was falling more helplessly under her spell. They parted and the Doctor rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm not used to being so out of my league. Rose, I'm not sure...look, I'll be straight with you. I'm not used to relationships, in fact, it's been centuries and I mean that literally. But I know a few things - like, I love you. And I want you with me always. And that I want to make love with you."

"Me too...except for the centuries bit. Centuries? Really?"

"'Fraid so. You'll pardon me if the lovemaking's not exactly up to snuff either." He gave her a foolish grin tinged with a hint of embarassement.

"If it's any consolation, I'm kinda scared m'self. This thing we're doing, the places we're gonna go together...it scares me." His hands had begun to undress her, unhooking the clasps on the front of her shirt. He pushed it down off her shoulders, leaving her bare before him. The Doctor took in a deep breath to steady his nerves then lightly ran his finger tips across each of her breasts. He watched in fascination as her flesh broke out in goosepimples and her nipples tightened. He cupped her flesh, toying with the tips, squeezing gently until he heard Rose let a breathy moan escape.

"I don't want you to be scared, Rose. Not with me. I want you safe. And you will be, with me watching over you."

Chapter 7 - Emerald

_Confess what you crave  
A life without pain  
You'd kill for the taste  
But the hurt still remains_

As it turned out, Time Lords, this one in particular, really _were_ so impressive. Before he'd removed his trousers, the Doctor steeled himself and Rose could almost see him giving himself a pep talk inside his head. He quickly stripped himself bare and stood there, awaiting her scrutiny. Rose cast her eyes downward and met the Doctor's eyes with a grin. He was confused for a moment, but the mirth in her eyes put him at ease. He advanced on her and undid the sash that kept her pants secure. Once the knot was undone, the silk slid down her legs. She stepped out of them, and pushed the garment aside with her foot.

They were naked before each other, lovers in hearts and hopefully soon in bodies. The Doctor looked upwards and the TARDIS answered the request he hadn't spoken aloud. The lights dimmed to near dark, giving the room a warm amber glow like the embers of a dying fire. Taking Rose's hand in his, the Doctor guided them to the bath. He stepped in first, hissed at the hot temperature Rose had set the water at and bit by bit sank himself down. He held a hand up in order to steady her as she joined him in the bath. She sighed contentedly as she was enveloped by the heat. They faced each other, sitting in the spacious tub, neither one particularly sure of what to do next.

"This is, um, weird," the Doctor provided. The frown that appeared on Rose's face had him backpedaling quicker than he could calculate Pi. "Not you of course, you're wonderful, beautiful...magnificent breasts, fantastic even. Um...that was a really daft thing to say wasn't it?"

Rose laughed at him and continued to do so until he too began to smile. "Thanks for the compliment, I think. Not bad for a human?"

"Well it's not like I've made a habit of looking, I just happen to think yours are perfect."

"Why don't you sit back, stretch your legs out. You're far too tense. I take it you don't do romantic either?" He did as she bade and found a comfortable position with his back against the edge of the tub.

"_Never_ done romantic." She moved over to him and he caught her by the waist, turning her around and pulling her close.

"Your hands are rough," Rose commented as she settled herself back against his chest, but before he could withdraw them, she spoke again. "I like how they feel on m'skin." His callused fingers traced patterns over her stomach while he finally allowed himself to relax. He still wasn't sure what the purpose for simply soaking in the water, but as the heat infused his bones, he began to realize the benefits of not always being on the verge of another adventure.

Rose lay her cheek against his shoulder and her hand on to his forearm, stroking back and forth. As she continued her actions, he felt compelled to reciprocate the affection and began to knead the muscles between her neck and shoulder. His other arm wrapped itself around her waist. He kissed behind her ear and squeezed her tightly to him.

"Don't really know what we're doing," the Doctor observed. "But it feels lovely."

"It's called romantic quality time with your girlfriend. Sharing a bath is romantic. Don't question, just enjoy it."

"This is completely foreign to me, you understand? Not that I'm complaining, could stay like this, happy as a clam forever."

She peered back over her shoulder at him. "I would like to make it to the bed sometime. I want to be in your bed, Doctor."

"And I want you there. Just, um...what are we supposed to be doing?" Rose sighed. Obviously, he didn't _get it_ yet. But that was alright, she would teach him. Truth was, she hadn't done this sort of thing with anyone before either. Mickey was romantic in tiny ways, like bringing her lunch when she was at the shop and Jimmy Stones was about as romantic as an amateur wrestling match. What Rose was after was the stuff she found in her mother's trashy romance novels. He'd already swept her off her feet, with a grin and a flash time ship, now she awaited the inevitable culmination of their relationship. Rose turned herself around, laying her body flush against his. He groaned audibly, sinking down lower in the water. There was a distinct sense of arousal on the Doctor's part, as evidenced by the hardening of his flesh between their pressed bodies.

"Find somewhere useful to put your hands," Rose instructed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him in for a warm, lazy kiss. Rose squeaked happily when his hands took hold of her bottom and gave her cheeks a good squeeze. "There, that's more like it. What we're doing, Doctor, is relaxing and soaking away a very hard day while having the fun of feeling each other up, kissing and generally getting us comfortable before we get to that bed of yours. You are supposed to tell me how much you love me and all the naughty things you want to do to me."

The Doctor gulped, once again out of his league.

"Um, Rose..."

"Doctor? How did the TARDIS appear inside the palace? Did you go all the way back to the outside of the city to get it?"

"Wha...?" How she'd switched gears so suddenly had him gobsmacked. That was usually his game. He stole another kiss from her lips. "That's never happened before, you know? _My _TARDIS never got the idea to move by itself, never came to _my_ rescue before. No, Rose Tyler, it was you."

"You're going to have to clarify that. My tiny ape brain doesn't feel you're making sense."

"The TARDIS is telepathic, this you know. And it's been just the two of us for months now. The TARDIS has been reading our thoughts...and that includes our desires and even our baser needs. She's integrated us into her make-up and when she sensed that you were in danger of dying, she did the best she could to try and save you. She didn't want to lose you. Like me, she's come to love you, couldn't bear to have you leave us. When they hurt you Rose, I could feel it. I _felt_ it as real as if it was happening to me. The TARDIS has connected us, opened our souls to each other. I can feel you inside me Rose and it's made me...complete."

Rose had never heard such a beautiful profession of love in all her young life. Her tears came unbidden, overwhelmed by his confession. "I mean that much to you?"

"Oh Rose...nine hundred years of time and space and so few things surprise me. But you have. I haven't been in love like this before, in love ever really, come to think of it. I live a very long, lonely life and to be honest, what we've got right here is just what I've always wanted. I was always denied it. I was always a bit different to the other Time Lords..."

"That I can believe..."

"Hey now, be nice."

"I was being nice, you're different in all the best possible ways."

"Oh, well thank you. You're quite fantastic yourself. As I was saying...actually, I was done. Except to add on another I love you."

"You're the only one I've said that to, y'know? Not even Mickey, as decent a bloke as he is and as much as I know he cares about me."

"Incidentally, you'll be breaking up with him next time you see him." His face was quite serious as he said this, making Rose smile sweetly. She liked a jealous Doctor. She scooted up his body and slid herself to his side, laying her cheek against the side of his neck.

"I'm yours, Doctor. I was yours the moment you took my hand." He hugged her close and kissed the crown of her head.

"And I'm never letting you go."

They stayed together in the bath for some time, until Rose began to fall asleep. After obligingly washing her hair for her, he carried her towel-dried body to his bed. He laid her sleeping form down and brought the covers up to her chin, tucking her in. He dressed in his usual fare of jeans and a jumper, then sat in the leather armchair across from the bed and laced up his Doc Martens before donning his black leather jacket. He double checked that the sonic screwdriver and his TARDIS key were in the coat pocket, then quietly went over to kneel down at Rose. Her quiet breathing and peaceful face were a balm against the raging emotions in him over what he was about to go and do. His hand ghosted over her face, but didn't touch her. When he returned they'd have all the time in the world. He was going to set them adrift in a totally uninhabited part of space for a week and revel in being with her.

He stood and walked to the door. "Keep her asleep. She needs the rest and I need the time," the Doctor spoke to the TARDIS before exiting and closing the door behind him.

The first order of business was to take the TARDIS back in time a few hours and find the girl he'd sent to the dungeon. The TARDIS cooperated and the Doctor was relieved to see the inside of the dungeon from the view screen. He stepped out into the quiet, not even hearing the sounds of his previous self battling the Quilah guards above ground. A familiar meow brought a smile to his face as the cat appeared and began to wind itself through his legs. "Hello again!"

The cat spoke once more.

"No, it's me from a few hours in the future, the other me's back up where you left him. Don't suppose you could help me find another girl? The one I sent down here for safe keeping?" The cat dashed off down a corridor to the right and the Doctor dutifully followed. When the cat disappeared the Doctor knew Zahira was close.

"Hello?" he called. "It's the Doctor."

From a nook behind him, the timid girl emerged, looking disheveled and scared. The Doctor gave her a reassuring grin and held his hand out for her. She looked at his hand for a moment before accepting it. "Where is your woman? Your Rose? " Zahira asked.

"Rose is safe, she's resting. I'm going to take you out of here...but you've got to trust me a little."

"There's no one else. I'll come with you." The Doctor nodded and led her back towards the TARDIS. He saw the cat sitting a ways away on a step. They locked eyes for a moment and in supplication the cat was the first to look away and depart. Cats rarely allowed themselves to be the first to look away, but the Doctor had earned their respect.

The blue box in the middle of the dungeon corridor made the young woman stop short. The Doctor unlocked the door with his key and encouraged her to follow. She gasped upon seeing the inside. He sat her down on the first step, then went to the control panel.

"This might be a bumpy ride, but it'll be over soon enough."

"You're not of this world?" The TARDIS' engines started up and to the Doctor's surprise there was little jostling of its passengers.

"No, I'm not. You alright?"

"Nor is the King."

"No, he isn't. But he won't be a problem for you or your people any longer." Zahira was silent after that. And when the TARDIS was still again, she rose of her own volition and made for the door. "Before you go...answer me a question." She turned back and faced him. "I don't suppose you have a younger brother do you?"

"No, I had only one older brother, but he died before I was born. My father followed a few years ago. Now I will find my mother and her family."

"Good...have a happy life, try and forget everything that's happened." She smiled sadly and exited, going back to her life and her world. The Doctor hoped she'd take his words to heart, but secretly he knew better. How could anyone forget enslavement and torture like this girl had know? Like what Rose knew.

The Doctor's eyes darkened as the quiet rage inside him boiled to the surface. He deftly set the TARDIS running again, directing it to the alien ship that orbited Earth.

The TARDIS materialized aboard the massive ship in an out of use block of living quarters. The TARDIS seemed to know the Doctor needed somewhere inconspicuous to make his way from. He locked the door to his ship, ready to finish this old business. As he began his walk towards the main hub of the ship, the Doctor felt himself grow sick. His hearts beat under stress, his stomach clenched and the hair on his body prickled. He knew there was no other option than the one he set himself upon and for once he could not escape his fate. He tried to banish his emotions, temper them down deep inside him. Tried to forget about Rose waiting for him naked in his bed. There was dirty work to be done. So rarely it was that the Doctor had actual blood on his hands, and even more rare that it tarnished his soul. And this time he was inviting it inside. The Doctor's disease persisted.

The ship was virtually deserted. Using his best judgment he deduced the size of the vessel to be close to that of a 20th century cruise ship.There were no guards, no workers, only infinitely empty corridors and rooms. He felt an indescribable pull towards the port side. Though the bridge was his destination, the Doctor's curiosity got the better of him and he continued on this new path.

The sight he came upon would be in his nightmares for lifetimes to come. The bay doors slid open to reveal a room bathed in light so bright he squinted against it until his eyes could adjust.

In another place, another time it would have been beautiful - the high vaulted ceilings of white and the infinite chambers of crystal that hung from the highest reaches like berries on a branch. The vast space stretched for as far as the eye could see, there had be tens of thousands of women, each encased in a stasis pod. The bright light made their naked skin appear bleached and gray. They looked like corpses. They weren't all human, only the newest batch, those Quilahjahnor had taken from all over planet Earth.

And out there among the many silent, one voice could still be heard.

The Doctor wove through the pods, scared to have them touch his body, his eyes witness to the horror of the aftermath of the effects of Quilahjahnor's taking of their life forces. The women did not speak, but their eyes were open - unblinking, unaware - their minds shattered, the souls lost, but their bodies still serviceable. The Doctor could not keep a lock on his fears and suddenly they all had Rose's face. He let out a cry, clutching at his stomach as he felt the sickness overwhelm him. His telepathic abilities had never made themselves so keenly known before. He pressed on, the sooner this was over, the sooner he could return to her, to his sanctuary. To his Rose.

There was the incessant sound of flesh and bone pounding on glass and the gruesome sounds called to the Doctor. Deeper still he went into the sea of ruin, until he spotted her. A meek figure, one surely as young as Rose, hit at the walls of her transparent prison with feet, fists and head. She babbled inanely and her voice was muffled by the thick glass, but she still screamed and cried. The assault upon his psyche had the Doctor wanting to turn tail and run, but instead he withdrew his sonic screwdriver and after a moment's hesitation, released her from her prison.

She fell into his arms, sobbing and writhing. "Breathe, breathe, breathe...no air..." the woman cried. "Too bright, where's the night? Destructive seeds sown. Scavengers, they feed, feed, feed. Driving the nails into my head, memory flows like a river...rivers of blood...where's the water? Get them out, my head...damaged, damaged, damaged..."

The Doctor panicked and dropped her, unable to bear her madness. Quilahjahnor hadn't completed the process with this one, he'd put her away too soon. How long had she been like this? Alone? Insane? She was mad beyond salvation. The woman cackled like a blind witch and alternately crawled and rolled around on the floor. The sound of her voice and the scraping of her nails against the metal floor had him wishing he could join her in her psychotic world, too far gone to realize the plight they were under.

The only course of action the Doctor could fathom was mercy. Methodically he knelt down, capturing the stricken women back up in his arms, cradling her close. He hummed a Gallifreyan tune, a lullaby, but his soothing methods went unnoticed by her. He covered her face with his large hand, blocking the air to her nose and mouth and pressed down hard. After a few moments she instinctively began to struggle, but he was relentless. It took longer than he expected, but after two fitful jerks of her body she was dead. He let her go, and without looking back went in search of the bridge.

He walked slowly, with little determination to his gait. As with his first encounter with the Quilah and their leader the Doctor had taken himself out of the normal progression of time. The bridge crew were suspended, allowing the Doctor to cross over to the empty chair that a captain would normal occupy. He sat himself down upon the throne of Quilahjahnor and waited.

The Doctor was normally quite content with the quiet. He looked forward to hours of it listening to only the sound of Rose's breathing and heartbeat. He feared now that she'd be able to sense the darkness in him a little more keenly. Would she ever let him touch her again with the hands that had just suffocated a woman to death? With a slight push of his will time set itself to right again and to his amusement, his presence in the captain's chair went completely unnoticed.

The Doctor's patience was rewarded when the villain himself came storming in, still dressed in Arabian garb having made a hasty retreat from Earth, barking out orders to his crew and the few Quilah guards he'd taken with him from down below.

"I could've read the entire works of Dickens waiting for you to arrive!" the Doctor said, adopting his most satirical tone. Quilahjahnor halted as if a seven hundred pound mountain gorilla had just jumped down in front of him. "I told you this wasn't over."

Putting on an air of confidence, Quilahjanor stood himself up to his full height and stared menacingly at the Doctor. "You're in my chair."

"Thought it would be the comfy one. Turns out it's a bit lumpy, no back support! I saw your little gallery on the way in."

"A fine collection, they will bring me a fine price. I can retire!" The Doctor's forced smile faded, but he didn't rise, instead he sat frighteningly still. The Doctor's face was stone, fixed in a dark, quiet rage that those who had been unfortunate enough to witness never saw again - they were usually dead not too long afterwards. Foolishly, Quilahjahnor was unaware of this. "How is that delicious girl of yours doing?"

"Taunting me isn't really the smartest of moves, but I suppose it doesn't really matter. You're dead."

"One man against an armed crew?"

"You may not have noticed, but I'm not really the sort who needs weapons. You're not familiar with Time Lords, I'll allow that. No one is anymore. But there's one left in the universe. And he's here to put an end to your kidnapping, your raping, your violating...your _savaging of innocent people!_" When his voice began to rise, the Doctor stood up from the chair. He stalked over to the regal alien, stopping a foot from him. "Time Lords don't need weapons, Quilahjahnor."

Quilahjahnor went to retort, but again he was frozen, as were the crew surrounding him. The Doctor watched as his revenge was exacted. The alien's already taut skin began to stretch back even further, his eyes bulging out and his lips and gums receding to reveals the rows of needle teeth. The teeth themselves began to show signs of decay as they rotted and fell from his mouth. The Doctor kept his eyes fixed on Quilahjahnor, but around him the others suffered the same fate - the ravages of time.

In the end when their skin, muscle and blood was gone and the skeleton was revealed the Doctor closed his eyes. He felt the wisps of dust swirl around him and he brushed it from his face. He exhaled a long breath and made his way to the main control panel and took out his sonic screwdriver. After a few alterations of the ship's systems, a self-destruct sequence was activated. He gave himself ample time to walk back to the TARDIS, to bypass the collection of slaves and to return to Rose.

After the TARDIS door was locked behind him and the coordinates were set to take them to an unnamed part of space that only he had seen first hand, the Doctor allowed himself the knowledge that it was finally over. The gentle, reassuring hum of the TARDIS helped to unbind the knots that had formed themselves with his overwrought emotions. Things could go back to normal now, he was home. When the engines died down, all that remained was the odd creak of metal or a groan from the old ship as she drifted aimlessly through a vacant part of space.

The Doctor thought he could hear the echo of screams from somewhere far off in the ship. He felt chilled and the armor of his leather coat did nothing against it. Quilahjahnor's ship had detonated by now, taking with it the lives of tens of thousands of innocent women. Logically he knew it had to be done. He couldn't have left them like that indefinitely. They'd have never been the people that they once were. They'd never remember their names, the voices of their mothers, or the difference between sunlight and the harsh artificial light of their prison. It had been mercy. At least that is what he told himself. He wasn't a killer, not this time. He was the bringer of justice.

His body sagged, but he missed the console and hit the floor hard. His voice made a strange, ugly outburst as the first of his sobs came forth. He wept with his face buried in his hands - alone, cold and tired under the glowing green of the TARDIS lights.

Chapter 8 - These Living Arms

_Sleep now is descending like a dream  
Still I'm shaking from the softness  
of your skin  
Hold on to me, love  
and it'll all be alright _

Rose awoke with a yawn and stretched out her body, smiling to herself. "Fell asleep on you, didn't I?" she mumbled. "M'sorry...Doctor?" She rolled on to her side, expecting to find him there beside her. She sat up and scanned the room, finding herself alone. She listened and couldn't hear any activity in the bathroom. She lay back down for a moment, realizing that she was finally in his bed. The sheets were soft against her naked skin and smelled of him. She couldn't define his scent, but it was intoxicating. She reminded herself to question him if Time Lords had wickedly seductive pheromones. She'd seen his bedroom before, with it's Victorian style of furniture and dark, warm hues. It was a very masculine room, but cozy. Just the sort of place she could enjoy spending her time sleeping...or making love. She tossed off the heavy covers and looked for something to wear before going in search of him. Inside his wardrobe she found all sorts of odd costumes, she'd ask him to tell her the tales behind those later. To the left hung a series of jumpers and after selecting one of a dark olive green color, she went to find her Doctor.

The TARDIS was deathly silent. Too quiet for Rose's liking. She was used to the white noise of the engine's hum, and the creaks and groans of aged metal. Sometimes Rose was certain she felt the TARDIS breathing, with little puffs of wind parading along the corridors. But none of that was present, the place felt empty. She grew worried, and then quickly scared.

"Doctor!" she called out into the void of the hallways, hearing her echo. "Are you there Doctor? Answer me!" She quickened her pace, hoping the TARDIS would allow her to find the control room. "Doctor? Please answer me!"

She broke into a run, fear gripping her heart. She burst into the control room and frantically scanned for him. She caught sight of his foot from around the other side of the center console. "Doctor!" Rose rushed over to him, coming around and dropping to her knees in front of him. He was leaning back against the console, his knees pulled up and a vacant look on his face. Still damp tear tracks marred his face. She reached down beside him and took his hand in hers. He looked up at her suddenly, realizing he wasn't alone and took in a deep breath. Around them the TARDIS seemed to come back to life as well. The familiar sounds and lights surrounded them and that comforted Rose.

With a firm grip on his hand her other took hold of his face, tilting his head so she could look into his eyes. "What's happened, Doctor?"

"Nightmare..." he whispered. The moisture in his eyes made them shimmer and the sadness behind them almost brought tears to Rose's own eyes.

"You had a nightmare? Is that it?"

"I'm living one." Rose was confused, but knew instinctually that whatever it was that had upset him so terribly, she could comfort him. They were already so deeply connected and he needed to be reminded. She molded herself against his side and drew his head down to her breasts, embracing him close. She kissed the top of his head, rubbing her cheek against the soft bristles of his hair.

"Can you tell me what happened? Why you didn't come to bed?" The Doctor closed his eyes and reveled in the warmth of her body and the cushion of her supple flesh. He snaked his arms around her waist and squeezed tight.

"M'sorry I worried you. Had a little business to take care of, took that girl who helped you back home."

"And then you took care of Quilahjahnor? Did it not go well? Did he escape again?" He disentangled himself from her, sitting back and looking at her.

"No, Rose, he's dead. I..."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to...it was hard for you?"

"Yes, very hard. I will tell you...and I want to tell you about the Time War...I need...I need to tell someone. But not now, alright? There's a bit too much going on in me head. I want to forget about it for a while. All of it." He sighed and ran his hand over his face. He shook off his dark manner and smiled at her. "Now don't you look smart in my jumper? And with nothing under it, I trust?"

"Doctor..."

"Rose. It's alright, I promise."

"It's not alright. I'm worried about you. I love you."

"Come here, love." He enveloped her in his arms and embraced her, kissing her sweetly until she surrendered to him. When they parted, they'd both allowed some of the tension to dissipate. "I really needed that. Need more of that..." As he closed in on her again, she put her fingers to his mouth to halt him.

"Bed. And this isn't over. You're been crying. I can't bear the thought of you being so sad. I want to make you happy." He got to his feet and pulled her up with him.

"You make me so happy Rose." He emphasized his declaration by scooping her up in his arms, making her squeal with delight. "So very happy. You're my salvation, my reward...you're my every hope." She held on to him as he walked them back towards the bedroom. The trouble he'd been embroiled in was temporarily put aside as their passions from earlier were ignited once more.

Rose was gently sucking on his earlobe and squirming in his hold, whispering endearments and her desires in his ear. He wasn't sure he knew what half of she was asking for, but he was certainly game for learning. With every touch of her hands and caress of her lips on his body, the Doctor's woes faded._ Sanctuary_, the Doctor thought to himself, _that's what she is._ He laid her down on the bed, his smiles coming easily now, while Rose divested herself of his jumper and got comfortable.

"I do believe you have me at a disadvantage, Doctor. You're wearing entirely too much clothing. I want you naked, Doctor, and in this bed," Rose commanded. "We've waited entirely too long already."

"I couldn't agree more." He sat down on the edge of the bed and kicked off his shoes and socks, then slipped off his coat and pulled off the jumper. At this point Rose began to crawl over to him. As his hands went to his belt, Rose brushed his them away. She sought his lips again, and the kiss became increasingly urgent as she undid his belt and pulled down the zipper. Her hand snuck inside and wrapped around his half-hard member, slowly caressing the length. He groaned embarrassingly loudly and shuddered. Instead of easing off, Rose gripped him more firmly. Her tongue became more aggressive, plunging into his mouth, tangling with his.

Rose eventually found the strength to ease away from him, leaving him dizzy, completely hard and panting for breath. She lay down and held her arms out for him. His trousers soon joined his other clothes on the floor before the Doctor slipped under the covers with her. His touch was tentative, nervous, but he was not about to deny himself, or her, any longer.

"Doctor...don't think about it so much, just feel," cajoled Rose. She looked upwards and the TARDIS answered with the lights adjusting to the same atmospheric glow of the bath they'd shared. "Don't care 'bout those self-deprecating comments you made earlier. This is going to be amazing."

He settled himself atop her, pressing her down into the mattress. "I trust you," he said as he kissed her briefly before sliding himself down. "Just feel? I can feel Rose. I feel you. Your skin..." He nuzzled her breast, teasing her nipple with his nose before bestowing kisses on the rounded flesh. He wet the tip with his tongue, then blew lightly. Rose gasped and shivered. He gave the other nipple the same treatment, smiling at her acute responses. "I can taste you..." He pulled her nipple into his mouth, slicking his tongue around it, savoring the taste of her. His senses were far more enhanced than a human's and the flavour of her skin fueled his desire.

"Mmmm...Doctor. Don't stop!"

"Don't plan to..." He continued to lick, suck and nibble down her body, disappearing under the covers.

"Doctor?" He reappeared, looked up at her and smiled before ducking under again. Rose giggled when he bit into her hip bone and moaned when his hand ran up her inner thigh to her center. He parted her legs for her, kissed just a little too far from where Rose wanted him. She whimpered in need. Rose felt his breath on her and teasing nudges with his nose, then there were soft, tentative kisses. Rose squirmed, bunching the sheets in her fists. He delved inside her slit with his tongue, dipping in deep and running up and over her clit. "Doctor!"

The Doctor slid up her body, grinning from ear to ear. "You called?"

Rose hooked her leg around his waist and pulled him down on her. "No more waiting."

He pouted. He actually pouted. "But I was just about to have a little fun, Rose. I'm centuries out of practice. How am I supposed to make you happy if I don't get me practice in?"

"You are teasing me."

"Sort of, yeah." He dropped down and kissing along her collar bone, then neck until his lips were at her ear. "You taste like heaven, love."

Rose circled her arms around his shoulders, and hugged him close. "Make love to me, Doctor."

He entered her slowly, wanting to revel in the sensation. He felt like weeping, it was so overwhelming. He shuddered as he felt her slick walls stretch to accommodate his girth. He never thought anything in the world could feel so blissful. Nor so tight. He fit inside her perfectly. This was worth waiting nine hundred years for. He looked at her face, finding a smile on her lips and a deep abiding love looking back at him. It had finally happened, he'd finally found the one thing he'd been searching for through all of time and space. His soulmate. "Oh Rose..."

She touched his brow that was already shimmering with perspiration. Her hand then caressed the side of his face, guiding him closer. "I know. It's okay, I know..." Rose kissed him tenderly, dragging her lips over the planes of his face, kissing his eyelids, forehead, cheeks, chin and even the tip of his nose. She'd never felt anything quite like this before. She'd always imagined being with the Doctor would feel tremendously wonderful in heart, because he was the most brilliant, exciting man she'd ever met, but the physical sensations she was experiencing heightened the love she'd come to have for him. She'd never felt so perfectly complete. He filled her body in the most satisfying of ways and the way he was shaking in her arms evoked the desire to protect him. The Doctor needing protection? The notion was absurd, but it was there nonetheless. He may have been quick witted, resourceful and even powerful, but he was vulnerable, lonely, and he needed her.

Rose bucked her hips up against his, encouraging him. He sought her hands, lacing their fingers together and began to move, thrusting gently and getting used to the sensations. Rose's knees came up to allow him a deeper penetration. She matched his motions, encouraging him on, gasping when he stroked just the right places inside her. His body quaked with each push and his breath was hot and hard on her neck. His grip around her fingers was nearly crushing, but the urgency with which he moved told her just how intensely he was feeling this.

"Doctor?" she gasped, arching into him. "Will you look at me?" The Doctor raised his head, finding her eyes. Overwhelmed with emotion his eyes brimmed with tears. And then he smiled at her.

His voice came out barely above a whisper, but she heard her name tumble from his lips. "Rose..." Then he kissed her, hard and fierce. Their coupling increased in vigor. The room filled with the sounds of mating bodies, groans from deep in the Doctor's throat and cries from Rose tempered by his kiss. The Doctor's movement became quick and erratic, seeking his completion. Rose's heels scored his back as his strokes became too strong for her to hold off any longer. Just as they reached a fever pitch, Rose seized beneath him, breaking from his mouth with a silent scream.

The pulsing of her body around his cock pulled him under and he cried out as he came, spilling himself inside her and cleaving to her as her body was wracked with the intensity of his release. It was in this moment that the full effect of the TARDIS having linked them made itself known. In the most shocking and vibrant of ways. The Doctor wouldn't have wished a journey through his mind on his worst enemy. But the TARDIS had opened Rose to it, brought her inside and now as her body and soul were humming with pleasure, she was exposed to the Doctor's memories in living colour. She saw him in each of his incarnations, the people he'd travelled with, his family, his offspring, his enemies, his friends and countless others. She experienced his joys and his woes and lastly the ravages of the Time War and being its only survivor. However through it all she felt his ever growing love for her and how she had become the most precious thing to him in all nine hundred years of his life. She keened again and then went limp, her body and psyche utterly spent.

The actuality of orgasm left the Doctor feeling as if he were spinning out of control. He could not reign in the frantic movement of his body, nor the strangled cry of Rose's name. A vision flashed inside his mind, and he felt Rose inside his head again. He saw her on her bed next to her mother, looking over photographs of her dead father. He saw her glee when on Christmas morning of her twelfth year, she found a red bicycle waiting for her by the tree. He saw her and her best mate Shireen meeting each other for the first time when they were fourteen. Then came darker times. She and Shireen were mugged at knife point behind the school when they were fifteen. Then came Jimmy Stones. Rose hadn't been ready to sleep with him, but one night she got incredibly drunk at a party. She found herself naked with him the next morning without a single memory of what had occurred save for the knowledge she wasn't a virgin any longer. She'd always wondered if Jimmy had slipped something into her drink and taken advantage. She couldn't remember having more than two beers. The Doctor was privy to how dirty she'd felt in Jimmy's presence ever since and saw the relationship come to a horrid but merciful end. When it came to Mickey the Idiot, the Doctor forgave him for every stupid thing he'd ever done. He made Rose feel like she was a beautiful princess. Mickey was kind, patient, safe. Mickey had been good to her.

But she hadn't been in love with him. Certainly she loved him, how could she not? But she hadn't been in love with him. Rose had been waiting for _him_, the Doctor. Soulmates. He'd never really bought into the notion, but here and now he knew it was possible that two people separated by time and space really could be meant to be with each other for eternity. And here they were, finally realizing and consummating the bond.

The Doctor let himself go heavy atop her, panting at her neck as he tried to catch his breath and regain his composure. He loosened the grips of his fingers around hers and lazily she wrapped her arms around his back. Rose's legs fell away from his waist and she sighed and tightened her arms around him.

"Mmm...Doctor," she whispered. He nuzzled her jawbone with his nose and peppered kisses on her cheek.

"Rose..." She felt him move off her, softly slipping out of her and settling at her side. He turned to her and gathered her close. They stared at each other, understanding what the other had experienced thanks to the TARDIS. The looks on their faces could only be described at content. There was a fierce joy flowing between them, and an attendant comfort. The Doctor smiled first and Rose matched his expression.

"That was..."

"Fantastic!"

"Knew you were going to say that. It's never been like that...that was...I feel like every cell of m'body's on fire!"

"The feeling's mutual. Oh Rose, I do love you so...that was...fantastic doesn't even begin to describe it. And I'm not just talking about the physical...you understand me, don't you? I'm not alone anymore." She found his hand under the covers and held it between them.

"No, you're not. I'm going to be with you...I want to say forever...but I know that can't happen. But I'm only nineteen, so you've got a good fifty years of putting up with me."

"Halcyon 7, we can go there if you want. There's a chemical make up to the water that promotes longevity and youth. I think we can stretch things out a century or two."

"A century or two? I could live that long?"

"If you want to."

"To be with you? Anything!" He grinned madly and dove in to kiss her again, hot and passionate. When they broke apart Rose became aware of his renewed arousal. She quirked her eyebrow at him.

"Two hearts, twice the circulation, very short recovery period." She pushed him on to his back and straddled him.

"A girl could get used to perks like that." She reached behind her and began to stroke him. "Definitely perky."

"Only for you, love. I've got centuries of celibacy to make up for."

"Don't ever stop calling me your 'love'. Alright?"

"I'll never stop." Rose raised her hips up and lowered herself down on him, settling there and rocking herself on him. "Come 'ere." She complied, leaning down until their foreheads touched. "Rose, I love you so much."

"I know. I love you too, Doctor." As they started to make love again, the TARDIS intervened, this time showing them visions of the future. There were adventures, tender moments in quiet space, visits home to London and love and understanding and companionship. The TARDIS showed them all the could be - Rose comforting the Doctor as he showed her where Gallifrey once was; there were children, _their_ children and there were Time Lords and Ladies in the universe again. Their progeny carrying on as mysterious time-travellers who save the innocent. And in the end Rose and the Doctor always returned to the same place, walking hand in hand into a beat up old blue police box from the 1960s they called home.

The End


End file.
